Automatic
by sybrann
Summary: Double D's parents suddenly drop off the face of the Earth. No sticky notes, no phone calls, and no money. Double D realizes he has some serious growing up to do and that he can't do it alone. (kevedd)
1. The Problem

Kevin Barr was never one to pry. If he ever needed to know something it would come to him eventually. Gossip always seemed to spread fast in Peach Creek. Like last year at school it took approximately eight minutes for the entire student body to find out that Jon White had slept with Selina Parker and threw up afterwards. At the moment however, Kevin was sitting on the floor of his garage attempting to tinker with his babe. Or motorcycle, whatever you wanted to call it.

Loud sounds from the house across the cul-de-sac kept distracting the teen. After a while Kevin jus sat on the ground with his dirty rag and wrench and clinched his jaw tight. _'Something is happening over there...something annoying for sure. I bet the dorks are behind this...'_ Kevin was holding himself back from heading over to that stupid white house and banging on the door to get Double Dee and his dork friends to shut up. Although he did have a short temper, he wasn't going to be _that_ neighbor. You know, every neighborhood has them. That one old man yelling to get off his lawn.

Kevin almost chuckled at himself before getting up and throwing the greasy rag across the room and walking inside to clean himself up. It was obvious he was done for the day with all that racket going on.

The next day when Kevin walked into the school he could tell it was going to be a good day. He looked good, his friends were happy to see him, hell he felt _great._ Nazz immediately latched onto his arm as soon as his group made it to his locker. "Hey Kev,"

Kevin glanced at her as he dug books out of his backpack. "What's up Nazz?"

"Have you noticed anything weird today?" she asked, squinting her eyes suspiciously. Kevin shrugged and shut his locker firmly. "Okay I'll give you a hint since you aren't gonna bite. The Eds aren't here today. Weird right? None of them. Even Double Dee! That dude never misses anything school related." she rambled on, once again clinging to the taller teens arm.

"Eh. Don't think too much into it. Probably another scam." Kevin sighed and broke contact with the blonde to walk to his first period. She grumbled something incoherent and walked away quickly. Kevin shook his head and sighed. Something was up, he could feel it. ' _So much for being a good day. All the dorks are gone and that means a prank and then a serious ass kicking.'_

...

Edd sat at his unusually cluttered kitchen table with his head in his hands. One of his legs bounced furiously under the table as he stared at the papers before him. _'How could this be happening? This is preposterous. Mother and Father would never..! Maybe something happened to them? No. Someone would have contacted me surely...'_

Edd was so consumed by his thoughts that he didn't notice his friends walk into his home. Ed gave a nervous glace at Eddy as they caught sight of the crumbling teen before them. Bills were scattered everywhere and even onto the floor. Edd said he had been receiving some bills in the mail but assured himself that his parents had taken care of it like they always have. "I should have been more attentive..." Edd mumbled, pulling his hat over his face in shame.

"It's not your fault 'D." Eddy said as he sat down next to the taller boy. Usually he would have slapped him on the back and told him to buck up or force his latest money making scam on him, but even Eddy knew when to draw the line.

Right now one of his best friends was having an actual swear-to-God crisis. The worst part was that he didn't think he could help Edd out of this one. "What about the credit card they got for you?" Eddy asked hopefully.

"I-I don't know. All of my currency is just..gone. I called all of the banks, I-" Edd sobbed into his hands. "T-There's no more money left."

His parents had left his best friend high and dry after how many years? Now they also left their son with no money, which meant his bills had been piling up. Poor 'D still thought they were keeping up until his electricity was shut off last night. "Did you call them?"

This only made Edd sob harder. "Yes...I telephoned the hospital that they last worked for."

Ed and Eddy sat in silence for a moment waiting for Double D to continue.

"They haven't been there in the last four months. Uh, the man I spoke with said they just 'up and left' one day."

Eddy deflated in his seat. It's not like 'D could just get a job and make everything all better. He was _months_ behind on the rent and everything else was about to be disconnected. Suddenly a wave of anger flashed through Eddy and he stood up quickly. His chair clattered to the ground and he quickly grabbed all the bills in his arms and carried them over to stuff them in a kitchen drawer. "Eddy? What might-"

"Grab Double D Ed, we're headin' over to my place to watch some movies." the shortest teen ordered. Ed saluted him and immediately swung Double D over his shoulder. Eddy slammed the door of Edd's house in anger once they were outside. Double D just hung defeated over the strong Ed's shoulder. As they were walking across the cul-de-sac they caught the attention of some of the neighborhood kids such as Nazz and Kevin, who were sitting on Kevin's doorstep.

"Hey guys!"

Ed and Eddy turned around to see Nazz waving excitedly at them. The two boys paused when they noticed her making her way over to them with Kevin trailing behind her. Double D groaned inwardly, he really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. "What's up?" Eddy asked impatiently.

Kevin wrinkled his nose at the shortest Ed but said nothing. However Nazz seemed unfazed by his attitude. "We were just wondering why all three of you guys weren't at school today." she paused, dropping her sweet voice. "It seems a little sketchy."

"Ed let me down." Double D commanded, which greatly disturbed Ed and Eddy since the 'please' wasn't present. Without looking at anyone, Double D turned on his heel and stalked towards Eddy's house. He seemed to have a new attitude about him. Nazz was about to yell after him when Eddy caught her just in time.

"Leave him alone. He's having a really rough time right now. Double D doesn't need people like you guys breathing down his neck." Eddy growled, his defenses running on high all day for his friend.

"Look here, I didn't even say anything Short-stack." Kevin yelled, shoving a finger in Eddy's chest. Ed shuffled his feet trying to make up his mind on whether or not he should interfere. He really didn't want another one of his friends to be hurt!

"Save it Shovel-chin. I don't really give a shit right now."

Kevin fumed and picked up Eddy by his collar. "Alright Skipper. You asked for it."

While the fight had escalated so rapidly, no one had noticed Double D standing on Eddy's doorstep with his hand on the doorknob watching the entire thing.

As a young boy, Edd was a scrawny kid. He seemed to lack every muscle you could think of since he devoted most of time to his studies, physical education had taken a back seat. Though once he met the other two Eds, his scrawny physique had transformed into an extremely lean and strong one. All that heavy lifting from Eddy's schemes and holding the Eds back from certain doom had to pay off somehow.

Still no one noticed when the raved-haired boy stalked over to the brawl and literally ripped his friend away from the football star's angry fist.

...

I stared in the spot where that dork's face was in confusion. Both Nazz and my own face snapped in the direction of Eddy. I couldn't believe what he was seeing. That nerdy, overly articulate dork was literally holding Eddy up by his collar. With all honesty, the dude looked a little menacing. Double D's hat was pulled down over his eyebrows so all you could see were these dark-rimmed eyes with a scowl. His muscles I never knew Double D had rippled under his maroon V-neck. What happened to the dorky kid I used to know?

Double D set Eddy down and stared hard at Nazz and myself. "I would appreciate it if you didn't try to beat up my friends, thank you." he said evenly. Nazz huffed, looked between Edd and I, and stormed off. Eddy and Ed did the same, both ready to be done with the situation. I turned my attention back to the guy in front of me, once menacing, but now he just looked exhausted. I bit my tongue. _'Should I say something? I did just almost beat up his best friend in front of him.'_

"I'm surprised Dork."

Double D seemed to jump a little, as if he forgot I was standing there for a second. "May I ask why?"

"I didn't know you were that strong, let alone had muscle." I chuckled. Double D just barely cracked a smile before looking down at the concrete. I was about to say something else when he cut me off unknowingly.

"I shall see you later Kevin. I wish I could say it had been pleasant..." Double D mumbled the last part as he walked away and back to Eddy's house. I had this odd sensation of guilt wash over me as I turned around and headed back to my own house.

The dude looked terrible. Paler than normal, bags under his eyes, even his perky attitude had faded away to a scowling face. As much as I really didn't want to care, I still kind of did. Maybe it was the whole 'cul-de-sac kids gotta stick together' motto, or maybe it was something else.

I walked Double D drag his feet into his friend's house with new light. "I gotta find out what's going on."


	2. Not Unwanted

Edd was absent from school the next couple days as he tried to figure out his next step. All the worries from his current situation kept him strung out, he hadn't slept a decent amount in days. His friends tried to help, Ed yammered on about Rolf's baby chicks and Eddy tried to be helpful, but after a few days the band of friends still had no plan of action. Edd had his sinking suspicions of what his logical options were; he could put his parents' house up for sale, get a job and save up for a small place, maybe if he was lucky one of his friends would let him stay over for a while.

However, Edd couldn't keep other dark thoughts from his mind. He wasn't quite an adult yet, he still had a month to go before his eighteenth birthday. All his extra time would go towards his future job. He needed all the extra money he could get so he could find a small apartment. Double D clutched his chest as he felt his college dreams slipping away before his very eyes. "How did it ever come to this?" he mumbled to himself in the dark living room of his lonely house. Edd's mind drifted towards his estranged parents and anger bubbled up into his chest from his gut. In a fit of rage he threw a nearby picture at a wall, and heaved as glass exploded everywhere. Edd felt a little better, but the heaviness and anger had planted itself deep within him.

The teen growled and picked up another portrait, this one held a photo of his parents at some awards ceremony. He threw it in the sink and sank down into a nearby chair, eyeing the tower of boxes and totes his friends had collected for him over the weekend.

Edd's eyebrows furrowed when the doorbell rang.

...

Kevin didn't know how he managed to gather up the nerve to go over to the Dork's house and confront him about everything. He stood on the doorstep with his hands shoved deep in his pockets. The red-haired teen was deep in thought when the door slowly opened to reveal an angry looking Double D before him. "Kevin, I wasn't expecting you."

"I know. I don't really know why I came over to be honest..." Kevin said as he rubbed the back of his neck. Double D narrowed his eyes at the taller boy before sighing and glancing back into the house. Usually he would never allow a guest into his home if it was ever anything but spotless- but this was no longer his home and he'd be packing everything up soon anyways. Kevin could be Edd's last real visitor before the house was out of his hands for good.

"Come in, and please excuse the mess." Double D said as he stepped to the side to let the other boy walk in. Kevin took a deep breath as he looked around. "Would you like a refreshment? I'm afraid I don't have much to choose from."

'Oh, uh, anything is fine 'D."

Double D handed him a bottle of water and they sat themselves down at the kitchen table. It was quiet for a moment before Double D decided to break the silence. "So have you decided as to what brings you over?"

Kevin stopped peeling the label off the bottle and set it to the side. "Listen, I know we're not close or anything. I get it. But I'm not gonna lie, something's goin' on with you and...I dunno..." Kevin trailed off, he didn't want to make himself sound sappy or anything. Maybe he just wanted to be nosey, or he genuinely wanted to help, Kevin wasn't exactly sure.

Double D stared hard at the table before sighing heavily through his nose. "While I appreciate your attempted honesty, I doubt you'd want to be a part of this."

Kevin frowned. "Hey, us cul-de-sac kids gotta stick together." Did he really just say that? "A-and while I'm at it, I'm sorry about yesterday. Nazz likes to get in on all the drama and gossip going on in Peach Creek. You probably already know that though." _You're a freakin' genius. Of course you know. You know everything._

Double D looked away. "I'm selling my home. I cannot reside here any further."

Kevin nearly spit out his water. "What? Are you moving away? What about your parents?" he asked lowly. He noticed Edd's eyes harden at the mention of his parents.

"I believe I'm going to attempt to stay with Eddy, but I don't think I could ever live with Ed if my existence depended on it." the raven-haired teen confided. Kevin would have chuckled a little at Double D's slight disgust with Lumpy, but the light was not in his eyes.

"And your parents..?"

"They...my parents are gone." Double D admitted. He briefly debated on whether or not to tell Kevin the absolute truth but decided against it. Kevin sat quietly for a moment.

"You know my mom left like six years ago." Kevin admitted calmly. Edd's face snapped up to meet the red head's gaze.

"I had no idea." Double D said, playing with his fingers nervously.

Kevin shrugged. "It takes one to know one, y'know? Your situation is different than mine for sure, but it helps to have someone understand. Even just a little."

Double D bit his bottom lip and looked at Kevin with worry. "They left me with fifteen thousand dollars of debt. I-I don't know how, or where any of it came from. I have no money left..." his voice barely about a whisper. At this moment Kevin felt more for the boy in front of him than anyone else in his life. _Poor kid..._

Kevin abandoned his chair and walked over to gather Double D in his strong arms. Normally, Double D would have been repulsed by his childhood bully touching him, but he needed this right now. Double D held tight onto the athlete's arm.

Kevin ended up hanging around for a while. Surprisingly, he was turning out to be a really good friend. He helped Double D clean up the glass in the living room and make casual conversation in the meantime.

"So when you comin' back to school? It's not the same y'know." Kevin said, a secret blush dancing across his cheeks as his words got the better of him. Double D paused momentarily before taking more pictures off a wall and setting them gently in a box.

"I-I just need to acquire a job, I cannot focus anything else with this massive debt hanging over my head."

"So you're not going back? You're just gonna drop out?"

"Oh goodness no. I have no intention of 'dropping out' per say." Double D's eyes grew sad. "My education has been compromised due to my situation. I don't exactly have a plan, I believe the furthest I've gotten is to graduate high school and find a proper place for myself to live. It's not ideal but...its okay for now I suppose."

"You're gonna get through this dude. The other Dorks are helping you out right?" Kevin asked, Double D nodded. "Good. Plus, if you ever think of it, I'm here to help too."

"I appreciate it Kevin, I really do, but I still don't quite understand why you of all people decided to show up on my doorstep to try and assist me."

Kevin shrugged. "I guess I get where your coming from 'D, but like I said. It takes one to know one. And besides, I always thought you were kinda cool with all those inventions you used to make. Super impressive believe me."

Double D hid his blushed face from the red-haired teen as he talked. No one had ever paid the boy such compliments, even if they weren't much. "Really?"

Kevin looked over at Double D from his spot on the ground and graced him with a small smile. "Yeah dude."

At that moment the jock finally looked at Edd. Not the dorky kid from his childhood, but the young man in front of him. He noticed how his jet-black hair really complimented his clear pale complexion, and how his little nose turned upwards in the most appealing way. Mostly though, Kevin never realized how his thick eyelashes that were as black as his hair rested on his round cheeks. Kevin blushed heavily but forgot to save his dignity by turning away. However Kevin couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that the little dweeb had finally grown up.

Luckily for him, Double D hadn't caught his lingering gaze and he lowered his head back down to the box he was trying to tape closed. His thoughts continued to wander. Sure, he liked Nazz, and there was that one girl in his math class who looked something like a Greek goddess, but there was something about the dork that had always seemed to catch Kevin's eye. Even when they were younger and Kevin used to beat on them, he'd used to catch himself staring, so he would beat them to chase away the thoughts his dad deeply frowned upon.

Kevin would never admit to anyone about his confusing feelings towards the opposite gender.


	3. Nothing but the Beat(ing)

Author's note:

I absolutely live for the most wonderful reviews I've received just recently, even if it's only a few. Thank you to everyone who gave my story a chance! I means the _world_ to me. Honest.

* * *

A couple weeks had rolled by in the town of Peach Creek. Edd had returned to school much to the teachers' delight, but everyone had noticed a change in the boy. His face always seemed to hold a deep frown and the bags never leaving from underneath Edd's piercing blue eyes. He didn't raise his hand in class, resigned from all of his after school activities, and hid out in the library during his lunch. Which was where he was on this particular day. Double D leaned back in an uncomfortable wooden chair with a book poised in one hand and a bottled water in the other. His friends never stopped asking him to lunch, but Edd simply declined each time. He didn't have the heart to tell them he didn't any money to buy lunch with. His stomach growled hungrily at the thought but the teen pushed the feeling away once more. Edd wasn't bold enough to ask for help yet either, although he welcomed it with open arms when it was offered.

Edd's parents' belongings were packed away in boxes and stored away in Eddy's basement. It wasn't that much in fact, they weren't around long enough to unpack so it only added up to about five boxes in total. Edd's room was a different story. He simply had too many things to store away, so he had sold some of his belongings with a heavy heart. Only his most prized possessions remained: Jim, his clothes, and a few books he loved dearly.

His thoughts were interrupted by someone dropping their backpack onto Edd's table. The pale teen jumped and looked up at the intruder. Of course it was Kevin. "What can I do for you?"

"I like this whole thing you've got going on Double Dork." he said as he sat down and waved a finger to Edd.

"What do you mean?" Double D asked with mild curiosity.

Kevin waved his finger again. "This whole 'dark and dangerous' thing. It's cool, I can dig it." he chuckled and kicked back in his chair imitating Double D.

"Explain."

Kevin smirked and sat forward, his chair hitting the floor with a thunk. "The dark clothes, the constant frown-y face. But there's something wrong with this whole picture."

Edd furrowed his brows and waited for the jock to continue. "Like a leather jacket or some piercings or somethin'" Kevin laughed at himself before Double D pretended to look disgusted and hurt. "Anyways, here."

Edd's eyes widened as his new friend tossed a bagged sandwich at him. "Take it."

"N-no thank you Kevin, I'm afraid I'm not hungry at the moment." Double D lied smoothly as his empty stomach protested angrily.

"It seems your stomach begs to differ. Just eat it Dork."

"Well what about you? I couldn't possibly-" Double D was stopped abruptly as Kevin pulled out his own sandwich and took a large bite.

"Like I said, it takes one to know one." he said with a glint in his eye. Double D sat dumbstruck and eventually took a bite, trying not to seem too eager. "Just schnarf it down dude. I know you're hungry."

Double D went positively red. "How did you know?"

Kevin sighed through his nose and took another bite. "I've got my dark secrets too ya dork. You're not the only one who's been through a crisis here."

Double D stared at this teen in front of him, Kevin had his moments and this was definitely one of them. All Edd wanted to do was pull his chair close to his and listen to his stories all day. He wanted to know _everything_ about this man. Every fear, aspiration, and hobby. Edd wanted to know- no. He _needed_ to know more about Kevin. Over the last few weeks Kevin and himself had become surprisingly good friends. He was right, it did help to have someone understand what you're going through.

"I wish to know more." Double D blurted out loud. Kevin cocked an eyebrow and observed his friend.

"Oh yeah?" he laughed and finished his lunch. "You're gonna have to pry it outta me then."

"How does one go about doing such a thing?" Double D questioned, completely serious.

...

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes I do."

Kevin sighed again. "Have some fun with me."

Double D seemed to have a habit of turning into a tomato at will today. Kevin smiled a little and continued. " You know what I mean 'D. I don't know if I've said it yet, but...you're alright. I want to uh, I want to..." Kevin started to lose his confidence and began to trip over his words.

"Are you normally this nervous? Or is it just me?" Double D said boldly. _'Of course.'_ Kevin thought. _'The dude can't even ask for food but when the opportunity comes to turn me into a puddle of goo he has fucking balls of steel.'_

Kevin glanced up at Edd from under his lashes. Edd was leaning into the conversation with a little gap-toothed grin plastered onto his face. Did he realize that he had dimples?

Kevin felt his face grow warm but pressed on anyways. "I want to be...close to you." he confessed. Double D looked like he was about to crack a real smile before his blue eyes caught sight of something and looked back at me seriously.

"Perhaps this conversation is one to have in private Kevin. I'm not sure how your friends would appreciate who you're speaking to." Double D said quietly, his eyes twitching from my face to the space over my shoulder. "They're watching us." I huffed and leaned back in my chair.

"Hey Cap," one of the bulky teens called as they moseyed over. "What're you doing here?"

"Studying.." Double D whispered to me while his nose was stuck in a textbook that had appeared out of nowhere.

"Studying. Double Dork was helping me with my calculus." I said coolly, silently thanking my bookworm.

"We need to talk Cap, now beat it nerd. Before we beat you." they threatened, immediately 'D was up and out the door before I knew it.

I sighed once again and ran a hand over my neck. "Well?"

...

Double D walked through the halls lazily. Kevin's words had practically made him melt. He put a thin finger to his chin in thought, was Kevin really putting out signals like he thought he was? Or was it the starved heart inside of himself that caused him to hallucinate these feelings?

The teen was snapped out of his thoughts when a meaty hand connected with the row of lockers directly in front of his face. Double D had dealt with many bullies in his younger years, but high school had been especially brutal. A baseball player named Jordan was the reason he would always have a small limp on a good day, and Jordan's best friend Tyler was the reason all of the Eds sported either three or four false teeth in each of their mouths.

Double D nervously raised his gaze to meet the jock's glare, his hand still pressed into the lockers. "Let's have a chat about the Captain, shall we?"

Forty-five minutes later Double D hid in the safety of the nurse's bathroom. His left arm was cradled into his chest, it was sick shades of purples and blues around the shoulder all the way to the joints of Double D's fingers. The raven-haired teen could hardly move the thing, but on the bright side it was the only thing that was hurt. Well, besides his pride and feelings, but those don't really matter all that much anyways. The jock had cornered and attacked Edd with the intent of making him remember that Kevin wasn't gay...

The nurse had given him a sling after telling him to get his parents and head to the hospital to get some x-rays. Double D lied smoothly and promised her every word. He allowed his zip-up hoodie to rest on his shoulders to help hide his arm from the prying eyes of the student body.

After the beating he had took today, his leg felt aggravated and Double D limped through the halls towards his locker to grab his bag and head home. However, his day wouldn't be complete unless he was stopped by the captain of the football team, which he was.

"Hey 'D" Kevin greeted as he jogged up to the teen. "Are you okay? You're limpin' and shit..."

"I've had this for quite a while Kevin," Double D said and nervously tugged his sweatshirt over his swollen arm. "I'm also going home for the day, I thought you would like to know."

"Is it your leg?" Kevin asked, pointing a lazy finger. I hesitated before nodding a little, he seemed to buy it for now. "Okay, well, feel better okay? Oh! also um, can I come over tonight? Er, well. You should come over to my place since your house is all packed up. Only if you want though-"

I placed a finger on Kevin's soft lips. "You're rambling Kevin."

The tall jock blushed and smiled guiltily. "I guess I sound like you now, huh?"

I giggled and winced when I involuntarily shrugged. "I'll be at your home at six...Can we watch a movie?"

...

When Edd arrived home, his house was the emptiest he had ever seen it. Only curtains and a few tables were left in the wake of his parents' abandon. Double D trudged over to his freezer and removed all the ice he had and headed towards his bathroom.

Hours later and several antibiotic creams later, his arm looked a little better than what it had been starting out. Now wrapped securely and resting in the sling, Edd slumped to the floor of his bathroom.

He sat there for a moment before glancing back down at his arm, earlier he had deduced that it was broken. His childhood home was going on the market next week, his parents had abandoned him, and his arm was snapped like a twig when he was found chatting with Kevin. Which brought Edd back around to think about how he couldn't work with a freshly broken bone.

After a minute or two his thoughts once again drifted to Kevin, and how Edd relayed the imaginary scene in his head of his favorite red-head getting mad at him for not immediately telling Kevin about the incident. His heart swelled painfully in his chest.

Edd rested his head back against the cool tile of his bathroom wall and sighed a shaky breath. "Happy birthday to me..."


	4. Turn Around

Although Edd's birthday had started out as a bust, things soon started to turn around as the doorbell rang. The teen threw his hoodie over his shoulders and made his way over to the front door slowly. Hid heart stopped as he opened the door. Double D was greeted by all the cul-de-sac kids. All of them had some sort of bag or box in their arms along with flashlights.

"W-what's happening here?" Double D asked, gripping onto the thin hoodie. In the front of the group stood Ed, Eddy, and Kevin. What disturbed him more was the fact that Eddy and Kevin were standing in the same vicinity and not attempting to pull out each other's tongue. Eddy then stepped forward to speak.

"We wanted to surprise you Sockhead! So me and Bricks-for-Brains over here put this whole thing together for you." Eddy said, lightly punching the red-head in the arm. Kevin fought the urge not to sock him in the face and merely smiled.

"Yeah, I guess you could say we all came together tonight just for you. Happy birthday Edd." Kevin grinned. Double D stood there refusing to turn into a puddle at the way Kevin said his name. At the same time he fought the urge to burst into tears in front of all the kids he grew up with, they really didn't have a clue as to how much this meant to him.

"Th-thank you all so much! You all have no idea..." Edd hiccuped and stepped to the side to let them all in. Edd pulled Eddy in for a one-armed hug for his thanks, Eddy returned it fully with his trademark grin.

While all the other teens went to work putting everything together, Kevin hung back with Double D outside as the shorter boy watched all the commotion going on inside the house. "How did you know?"

"I overheard Eddy talking about it. So I bit the bullet and asked if I could help. Did we do good?"

Edd felt his eyes tear up and pulled Kevin into the tightest one-armed hug he could handle. Kevin was caught off guard for a second, but happily returned the hug. Edd buried his face into the jock's chest partly to hide his tears, and partly to hide the look of pain on his face from the squeezing his broken arm was getting.

Double D eventually pulled away with a blotchy red face and looked up into Kevin's eyes. "Thank you for everything that you've been doing Kevin. I'm...I'm really glad we became friends."

Kevin's hands rested on the dork's shoulders and gazed into his eyes. If every single person they lived by wasn't in the house in front of them, Kevin would've given into himself and swept Edd up into a kiss. "Ah..." Double D hissed and slowly lifted Kevin's hand off of his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Kevin asked, slightly hunching over to catch the other's gaze. Edd looked up and saw concern riddled in Kevin's eyes. He could feel his irrational fear of Kevin yelling at him bubbling up to the surface.

"Yes, I'm fine. My arm is just a little sore."

Kevin glared at Edd causing the boy to break out in a cold sweat. "Are you positive?"

"Y-yes?"

"Let me see it."

"No, th-thats not necessary." Edd stuttered but Kevin was already pushing his hoodie to the side. It would have looked like a bad sprain from the way it was bandaged, but that idea was thrown out the figurative window as soon as Kevin laid his eyes on Edd's purple fingers poking out of the sling. The teen then pulled his shirt sleeve gently to reveal more of the beaten skin. Under different circumstances Kevin's gentle touches would have taken his breath away, but the look on the red-head's face caused Edd to tremble.

"Edd...What happened to you?" Kevin's voice was barely above a whisper.

"I, um, I didn't want you to worry about me anymore than you already do. I don't want to cause any problems for you Kevin..." Double D's voice caught in his throat and he covered his face with a hand. Kevin somewhat roughly pulled Edd around to the side of the house where no one could see them.

"Ya know for someone so smart, you can be really dumb sometimes." Kevin said, letting his hands cup Double D's face and using his thumbs to wipe away stray tears.

"W-what?"

"I care about you dork." Kevin whispered. His gut churned with unsure thoughts rising to the surface. What would his friends think? His teammates? Kevin didn't even want to think about what his dad would say. _Or scream..._

But no one had to know right now. In the moment it was just Edd and himself, nothing else mattered.

Kevin dipped his head in to catch Edd's lips in a sweet kiss. It only lasted a few seconds before he pulled away to look at his dork. Double D's face was serene, still a bit red from crying and his ebony eyelashes were shiny and damp. "Don't you understand?" Kevin whispered, his eyes flickering down to Double D's slightly parted lips where you could just catch a glimpse of his gap.

Edd's eyes finally opened to reveal his striking blue eyes. "I do. I finally think I do."

Double D hesitantly wrapped his good arm around the taller teen's neck and tugged him down to his level. Kevin's breath caught in his throat as their lips met again for a second time.

Double D thought about how maybe his life was finally coming together. As the first one without his parents had turned out to be the best one yet.

Kevin however was thinking about the added weight to his shoulders. His father's red face buzzed in the back of his mind. He didn't regret kissing Edd, not for a second, but he could already see how everyone else would try to make him feel that way.

No one could know.

...

Double D was in awe as Kevin and himself finally stepped into the house. The living room was now aglow with candles and flashlights. Music could be heard in the kitchen along with the tantalizing smell of food. Kevin pointed to the living room silently and then walked ahead of him. Instead of following, he moseyed over to the kitchen to chat with Nazz, Sarah, and Jimmy who were all hunched over something. Nazz whirled around to catch Double D trying to look over their shoulders and quickly pushed him back towards the living room. "Not yet Double D. Shame on you for snooping!" she giggled and headed back to her project.

Sighing, Double D walked over to Eddy and sat down on the floor with him. "Was this really all you and Kevin's doing?"

Eddy nodded. "Yeah, I was surprised when Brick-head came up and asked to help. I didn't know you guys were close? We used to be close like that."

Double D leaned back on his good arm and nodded. "I suppose it has everything to do with my situation right now. I'll be the first to admit I'm sometimes not the easiest person to talk to." Edd was referring to a few weeks ago where Eddy and himself had to spend some time apart after an altercation they had. Sure, everything was alright now, but Double D was slowly turning into a different person. He started dressing in darker clothes instead of his ties and cardigans, it made him look like a rebel. No one besides the football team really messed with him anymore. Though when the end of the day rolls around, Double D's still Eddy's same ol' sockhead. Even if his friend's attitude and appearance changed he knew everything was the same inside.

Eddy knew that was more than enough to keep him happy.

Just as they had begun to talk about Ed's incident in the chemistry lab earlier this week, there was a sudden shushing. In came Nazz, Sarah, and Jimmy came into the room carrying a giant cake and Edd's face split into a wide grin. Then, if that wasn't enough, Rolf and Ed came in carrying a horde of gifts.

"Happy birthday Double D!" Ed exclaimed happily and tried to set them all down carefully.

"Indeed Smarter than Ed Edd boy!" Rolf yelled happily and clapped Double D on the back and sat next to Sarah on the other side of the room. Kevin plopped down next to the birthday boy and set a bag in his lap.

"Here, this is for you. Sorry if you don't like it."

Edd smiled and quietly dug in the medium sized bag to pull out a leather jacket. Edd gaped but couldn't help himself from giggling a little. "Really Kevin?"

Kevin shrugged with a chuckle of his own. "When I heard it was your birthday this was the first thing to pop into my mind after everyone said they were getting you gifts."

"I love it. Thank you."

Edd smiled and allowed the jacket to be draped over his shoulders in place of his hoodie. Jimmy and Sarah began serving up the cake after a rough chorus of the Happy Birthday song, and no one noticed when Kevin and Edd were leaning back on their hands that Kevin had hooked his pinky around Edd's in a secret sign on affection.


	5. The Fight

The weekend slowly rolled by after Double D's party. The day after he met with a real estate agent to sort out the paperwork to the house. It had been a long and weary process, but Edd was glad to have the extra weight lifted from his shoulders. He was also relieved to learn that his credit was still a zero, given that everything had been in his parents' names. No credit was better than bad credit, correct? Now that the house was no longer his to live in, Double Dee had temporarily moved in with Eddy. The teen wasn't hard to live with per say, just his parents. They were...loud. At the moment however, Eddy was grating on Double D's last nerve.

"C'mon Sockhead! Just lemme do it!"

"I said no."

"Why not? Are you scared?"

"No."

"Don't be a pussy bro, just one pinch and done."

Edd's face went red and he glared up at his friend. "Language Eddy, and for the last time. I repeat: refuse to let you put a piece of metal through my ear. It's unsanitary."

Eddy groaned and dramatically fell on his bed. "You may look like a badass on the outside but you're still the same ol' neurotic nerd you always were."

Double D sighed and leaned his head up against Eddy's bed. "You're never going to let this idea go, are you?"

"Nope."

"May I ask why again?"

"'Cause if ya wanna get the chicks, ya gotta look like you can kick some ass."

Edd mumbled, absently flexing his bruised fingers from his sling. "What was that you said short-stack?" Eddy said with a snicker, Edd finally pushed himself up off the floor and whirled around to face his extremely annoying friend.

"Seven! There are over seven _billion_ nerves in the human body and you have managed to get on every single one of mine!" the raven-haired teen bellowed, jabbing a finger in the other's face. Eddy merely laughed and shoved Double D's finger away.

"I'll stop when you prove you're not a pussy."

"Why? Why is this even relevant?! I don't have to prove anything to anyone!" Edd yelled, his blood started to boil. Eddy was _especially_ good at pressing every single one of his buttons, and excessive use of _that_ word was a big one for a reason. It was a choice word for his tormentors at school that angered him to no end. A woman's particular body part should never be another word for 'weak'.

"'Cause I know how it feels! I know how it feels to be angry without knowing it! I felt like that for the longest time about my big bro. You need an outlet and I'm gonna give it to ya."

"I'm...I'm not fighting you Eddy." Double D said, finally knowing where all this was coming from.

Eddy stalked closer to his friend and shoved him back. "This'll help, trust me. Jockstrap told me that he helps you with these 'feelings of loss' or whatever, but I finally found a way to help my friend and goddammit this is gonna happen!" the shorter teen yelled at Edd.

Double D debated for a long moment before turning and walking out. Double D had never engaged in physical altercations before, but he had to admit that on some level, Eddy was right. Double D's jaw always managed to clench any time he was reminded of his parents. Or when Eddy would blow off his parents for something trivial. Why did Eddy get to keep his parents when Edd would have treated his so much better? "Let us proceed then."

Eddy stood there for a moment as if he couldn't actually believe what he was hearing. Years ago Double D used to be this scrawny little kid who would cry if anyone so much as raised a hand in the direction of his beloved hat. Now Double D was standing in Eddy's doorway clad in his leather jacket, glaring daggers at him and asking for a fight. The shortest of the Eds grinned proudly. He knew that after this Edd would carry himself with a little more pride. Sure, they were about to beat the shit out of each other, but they would get over it. The pair walked side by side through the cul-de-sac, they had caught the eyes of a few of their friends, but didn't greet them which caused a spark of suspicion.

Fifteen minutes later, Edd and Eddy stood facing each other in a desolate part of the junk yard. Eddy had called Ed over to meet them to run interference in case anything got out of hand. The third boy didn't really understand what was going on but had agreed to help anyways.

Eddy stood there and picked his brain for the best way to get the fight going. Eddy needed something new, using the word pussy got Edd here, but using again to start the fight would be tacky. He needed different material, something reserved only for desperate situations. "C'mon Mama's Boy, let's do this."

Double D's good fist clenched but he made no move. Eddy grumbled and dug deeper. "Are you sad? You'll probably never see them again? Big deal! I'd say you're the lucky one here. No one to nag you or-"

Eddy was cut off by Double D's fist crashing into his face and knocking him to the ground. "Son of a bitch!" Eddy complained as he rubbed his jaw. _That was fast..._

"I would _kill_ for Mother and Father to come back to me! I would do anything to have them back in my life!" Double D screamed as Eddy jumped up and ran towards him with a fist ready.

"Why? So they can ignore you again? Wait for you to make some money before they take it and bail? _Again?_ " Eddy tackled Double D to the ground and promptly gave him a split lip. In a fit of rage. Edd kicked Eddy in the gut and reversed the situation. Eddy hadn't even noticed that Double D had shed his jacket and his sling during his rant. Even with a broken arm the dude was still throwing some mean punches, Eddy wondered how long this was going to last.

Eddy headbutted his friend to stop the onslaught on his face which caused the teen to fall backwards. In the heat of the moment Double D's hat fell off as he stood up and charged at Eddy. The shorter teen was momentarily frozen in place by the rare sight that was about to knock his lights out. His eyes were barely able to trace the pink scar that ran from the part of his hair to the crown of his head. "You shut up about them! You don't even know them at all!"

"Neither do you!" Eddy screamed. Fists met flesh and both of the boys hit the ground with a thud. Ed had long since abandoned the fight to seek help when Eddy had put Double D in a headlock. Edd and Eddy lay on the ground and panted heavily; Edd's arm throbbed and his knuckles were bloody. Eddy had lost a tooth out of it, but looked the same as his friend, black eyes and bloody noses all around.

It was quiet for a moment as they stared up at the bright blue sky. "Thank you Eddy." Edd breathed. "I feel better."

"Told ya so but I'm just glad that I finally found a way to help you, even if it meant beating you to a pulp." Eddy laughed and stood up, offering a helping hand to his buddy. Double D took his friends hand and slowly stood up. He did admit the words and even the punches that Eddy and himself shared lifted more heavy feelings off the teens shoulders. Eddy grabbed his friend's things and slapped a hand over Edd's shoulder as they limped home.

When they reached the cul-de-sac they could see Ed standing in front of all their friends waving his arms animatedly. Eddy chuckled at all the teens' faces as Ed described the fight. Jimmy was pale, Sarah was excited, Nazz was already texting rapidly on her phone, and Kevin was fuming. Eddy handed Double D his hat without a word and he simply let it hang loose on his head. "C'mon lumpy, we're gonna order a pizza." Eddy called with a wave of his hand as he and Edd limped by happily.

The other teens looked on in shock at the two bloody boys. Ed quickly caught up with them, followed closely by Kevin and Nazz. "Are you okay Double D?" Kevin asked asked, trying not to lose his shit in front of everybody.

"Who won?" Nazz asked, her thumbs poised over her phone in waiting.

"This is none of your concern." Edd spoke up and Eddy positively beamed with pride. "Please leave us be Nazz."

The blonde huffed and stalked away from the group of boys. When she was out of earshot Kevin turned back to Double D. "Can we talk?"

Edd nodded and turned to Eddy. "I shall return shortly, if I get back and the pizza is demolished please expect another fight."

Eddy saluted Double D and disappeared inside of his house with Ed. "Let's walk." Kevin said and quickly found out that he had to slow down to match Edd's limping pace. "How's your leg?"

Double D looked at kevin with his wide blue eyes. "I told you I've had this for a while...but I'm good."

Kevin and Double D ended up in Kevin's bathroom cleaning up cuts and scrapes. Kevin had a wet cloth in his hand and was in the process of cleaning up the blood on Edd's face. "I'm more than capable of cleaning myself up Kevin."

"I know. I just wanted to do it."

"Oh, I see. Did you miss me?"

Kevin scoffed in response before pausing for a moment or two. "Perhaps."

Edd scooted over on the edge of the tub and kicked the bathroom door shut quickly before stealing a slow kiss from his neighbor. "I missed you as well Kevin."

Kevin smirked and pulled Double D's hat firmly onto his head and kissed him once more. "Good."

It was quiet for a moment before Edd spoke up again. "Hey Kevin?"

"Yeah?"

Edd bit his swollen lip. "What would you think of piercings?"


	6. The Affair

Author's note:

 _ **Now accepting requests until I decide to break your hearts again.**_

dshell99: Your first review graced me with the strength to keep typing and ruin lives with all the romance and drama I have planned. Your second review made me snort. The third made me shout 'MOAR' to the heavens.

KM Forever: I can sincerely promise you that I will always break your heart every chance I get because goddamn. This is fun. Also, next time you figure out a plot line one chapter in I will fight you via emoji. *returned internal screaming*

SuperNovKim: You have no idea how much I loved that paragraph review. I checked my phone when I got the email and my mother accused me of watching porn because I had a dumb smile on my face. Now she looks at me with these shifty eyes.

* * *

Days passed for Edd quickly. School was easy, perhaps easier than it had ever been now that he wasn't seen as a punching bag. His newly founded attitude plus sense of style even made the other nerds in Edd's advanced classes stay away from him. Maybe it was the scowl caused from his new earring, or his and Kevin's relationship- _er_ \- lack of, he should say. It was a sore subject for them.

It had been approximately two weeks since the first kiss and many more had occurred since then. However when Kevin overheard one of his teammates bragging about Edd's broken arm he cut off all contact with Edd at school. When Kevin explained later at his house Double D had no reason to object. Kevin said he couldn't stand to see him get hurt like that again, and Edd (as much as he liked Kevin) didn't want to get hurt again either. Double D's arm was healing rather well. His fingers were almost back to normal but rest of the bruising seemed to stick.

"Hey Cutie."

Edd turned to the voice of Marie Kanker. It was strange, still somewhere deep down he was still terrified of her. "Yes Marie?"

"I just wanted to say that I liked this new you. We could match perfectly." she breathed into his ear from behind. When did she move behind him? Edd said nothing and stared forward, his scowl deepened. "Are you still scared? That's adorable." she purred.

"Do you actually harbor any true feelings for me Marie? Or do you simply enjoy the thrill of the chase?"

Marie froze. "Well, that's just-"

Edd set his pencil down with a snap and turned around to face the girl. "Do you have something you need to say?"

"Yes." she said meekly, surprised by Double D's new forwardness.

" Then perhaps this is a conversation for outside of class."

Edd saw her nod from the corner of his eye and slowly sunk back in her chair. Double copied her and slumped forward and sighed heavily through his nose. As much as he didn't like Marie, he left like having some conversation with her would get Marie to leave him alone for good.

When Edd packed up for class forty-five minutes later he left a light tap on his shoulder. "So...can we talk?" Marie asked and Edd nodded.

"We're going to the library since it's the lunch period." Edd said flatly as he walked ahead of the blue-haired girl.

"Oh. Don't you wanna eat?"

 _I would if I could..._ "No I'm not hungry, thank you."

Marie was silent as they trekked towards the library. Edd and Kevin briefly caught each other's eyes in the hallway but was immediately cut off when one of Kevin's friend's nudged his arm and the word 'faggot' was said, and then a lot of unnecessary laughing. It didn't help that it was only Edd, Marie, and two other student's in the hall at that moment. Edd sneered at the group and shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked.

A very confused Kevin glanced after Edd and Marie who was following him like a little lost puppy.

Edd fell back into his chair and crossed his arms while Marie did the same. "Well?"

"I'm waiting for you to start speaking Marie." Edd spoke lowly as they were in the library. Marie looked at the young man before and tried to sort out her jumbled thoughts. If she hadn't known him since forever she might have thought about staying away from him and his steely glare.

Marie took a deep breath and put her hands out on the table. "I need a favor." she blurted.

Edd snorted and looked away. "A favor?"

"Actually it's more of a 'scratch my back and I'll scratch yours' kind of deal, y'know?"

"Explain." Edd said with a raised eyebrow; she had caught his attention.

"I've heard what they've been saying about you. The baseball, football, and basketball team. All of them are bashing you, calling you a faggot. Even in the hall just now with Kevin."

"I'm aware."

"And I like someone, but Lee and May keep pushing me in the opposite direction and it's tearing me and my girls apart."

"And?"

Marie filled her cheeks up with air and rapped her fingers on the table quickly before letting all her words rush out like water in an open faucet. "LookIneedyoutopretendtobemyboyfriendforawhile-" She inhaled once more. "-soIcanfixeverythingandgetmysistersoffmyback."

Marie sighed loudly and laid her head on the table. "Pfft." Edd snickered before bursting into a fit of hysteria. The librarian came up and loudly shushed them to which Edd held up his hands in an apology.

"Well?" Marie mumbled, her face still firmly planted into the table. Double D quickly wiped away a stray tear and sighed to get his bearings together.

"I'll admit that is not what I was expecting to hear."

"Did you really expect me to come here and spew some love crap to you and walk out of here as your girl?" she sneered, Double D shrugged and leaned back once more. "Nah man. After how many years of terrorizing the shit out of you and the other Eds, believe me, I got the hint. Besides, I'm just a little-uh, gay."

"Oh really?" Edd said, pleasantly surprised.

"And by a little I mean a lot." she continued.

Edd smirked and glanced off into the biology section. "Yeah, I as well. Who's your girl?"

Marie nodded at Double D's expected confession and laced her fingers together. "Nazz."

Double D scoffed and shook his head. "It always is."

Marie paused and shifted in her seat awkwardly. "So you scratch mine, I'll scratch yours?"

"On a few conditions." Edd said sharply and faced her fully.

"Shoot."

"No unnecessary touching, no kissing, no making up fake scenarios without consulting each other, and no dates."

"Done! I really appreciate it 'D. I do. If there's anything you need, please tell me." Marie said sincerely as she wrote down her phone number on a piece of paper. "In case there's a complication, or you just need an ear."

Double D nodded and stuffed the paper into his back pocket and stood up. "Let's go make our debut then."

Marie stepped up next to the taller teen and hesitantly grabbed his hand in hers, still a little unsure of their touching. Double D closed his eyes and nodded slowly, Marie nodded back and laced her fingers with his as Double D pushed open the doors leading out of the library.

About ten feet out the doors hoots and hollers were heard towards them, some not entirely supportive. One of the football players clapped Edd on the back. as they passed the duo. "Good to see you're not a fag after all."

Edd growled but Marie squeezed his hand as they headed to their next destination. "How annoying..." he grumbled and set his eyes ahead of him. When they rounded the corner Edd ended up almost face to face with his favorite football star. Edd almost felt guilty when he walked up with Marie's hand trapped in his but immediately forgot about it when he noticed Kevin's strong arm around some blonde girl's waist.

Kevin hesitated for a second as he saw Edd holding Marie's hand but chose to ignore it. "Outta the way Double Dork." Kevin said and shoved his neighbor to the side, slightly hurt by the scene.

Marie quickly made her way in front of Double D and started to drag him though the hallway. She eventually dragged him to some of the old picnic tables behind the large school.

"Was that your guy?" Marie asked, immediately letting go of his hand to go sit down.

"...I guess you could say that, he forbid us to make initiated contact here." Edd explained slowly as his heart sank a little.

Marie scoffed and folded her arms at the news. "That sounds like some bullshit to me. Why?"

"Because last time he talked to me at school I took this home with me." Double D said and laid his splinted arm down on the old table. Marie traced the purple splotches with her eyes. She was silent for a moment before an idea popped into her head.

"Ya know, I saw Nazz snogging a member of the basketball team earlier today and I'm still bummed out about it...Wanna go grab some food and look at some bugs? My treat."

Edd practically beamed at those two words. Food _and_ insects! Double D didn't have time to consider missing a class or two when his stomach answered for him. "Yes absolutely. Let's go."

"Hey 'D?"

"Yes Marie?" Edd asked as the two walked in comfortable silence. It seemed Edd was making more and more friends lately and it was safe to say he was enjoying it immensely. Even if one of them happened to be a Kanker.

"If I play parent and call the school to excuse you will you do the same for me?" she asked timidly. This was definitely not the same girl from his class two hours ago.

"How could I possibly say no when you offered to observe insects with me?" Edd smiled happily, forgetting about the Kevin situation if only for a little bit while he got to know the new Marie Kanker. She let out a hearty laugh before adjusting her backpack.

"And 'D?"

"Yes?"

"I totally forgot about the No Hanging Out rule until just now."

Edd shrugged and kept walking. "I guess we'll allow this one to slide."


	7. The Truth

Author's Note:

Happy New Years! May this one be pleasant and full of hot bitches.

* * *

To Double D's surprise, spending time with Marie wasn't as horrible as he had thought it to be. The girl had grown up to be a smart young woman with a vast knowledge of many things. She had learned sign language so she could talk to her grandmother when she visited and played her guitar in her spare time with irked her sisters to no end. Marie also had an impeccable gift for art. Edd quickly formed a hypothesis that if an activity had anything to do with hands Marie could master it in as little as a few days. He also learned that she could go on and on about her girl. Edd couldn't say that he knew Nazz personally but when he listened to Marie he felt as if he had learned years worth of information in the span of only a few minutes.

"I must admit Marie, I'm actually quite happy with my decision to come out here and spend some time with you." Edd said as he took a drink of his cold soda. They sat on a bench outside of an arcade in the busier parts of town. The Kanker nodded and took a drink of her own.

"Yeah, it was...surprising. I thought for sure it would go downhill in the first five minutes." she admitted and threw a piece of candy into her mouth. Edd chuckled and looked off down the street distantly. They sat there for a while in comfortable silence whey finished their snacks. Edd let his mind wander while he popped another pretzel into his mouth absently. His thoughts started to drift towards his guy when Marie nudged his arm. "Hey. Walk me to the trailer park 'D. I had fun but I've got some stuff I need to take care of."

"Okay," Double D said and tossed his trash into a nearby garbage can. It was quiet for a moment before Marie spoke up.

"Are you gonna talk to your guy?" she asked. It had sort of become a code to them over the course of the day. Edd and Marie tried not to say names in case someone they knew would accidentally overhear.

"Yes. I'm going to make an appearance at his house after I walk you to your home. Hopefully I can make sense of this whole ordeal. And You?"

"I will eventually. I've got a lot of work ahead of me Edd. She doesn't even know I'm alive."

Edd sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Don't worry Marie. Surely we can smooth out both of our situations at some point."

"I hope you're right man," she sighed and twisted her head around to look behind her. "Look 'D." Marie said and tugged on his sleeve. Double D looked and saw a familiar red motorcycle and he could see Marie whistle in admiration. "What a beaut."

"Double D...hey Marie." Kevin greeted as he placed his feet firmly on each side of the bike to keep it steady. He eyed the two leather-bound people before him. Edd was wearing the jacket he had bought him as usual with his snug jeans and boots. Not to mention his new ear piercing? Kevin had never even thought he would be so turned on by an earring.

Marie looked similar to Edd. She had on a black shirt with the sleeves ripped off, tight leather pants and some hi-tops. Kevin looked away from the girl and back to Edd. "Can we talk?"

Marie giggled and nudged Edd's arm with her elbow and winked. Edd merely rolled his blue eyes and turned to face Kevin fully. "I'm walking Marie home at the moment but I will arrive at your dwelling as soon as I am finished." Double D said and Marie hooked her arm in the crook of his elbow happily, sending a wink Kevin's way.

Kevin's face went through four shades of red before glaring at the blue-haired girl. "Fine." he said lowly and revved his engine and his tired squealed before the red-head bolted off. Kevin looked _pissed._

Edd broke out into a nervous sweat and whirled around to face Marie. "What did you do that for?! He looked absolutely livid!"

Marie put her hands up in defense and smiled. "A jealous boy is an honest boy, my friend. I just sped up the process love!"

Edd groaned and trudged forward. "You should pray for your little stunt to work."

"It will! Trust me, and if it doesn't we'll find another way."

Edd glared at her through the corner of his eye. "If it doesn't work then kiss our little affair farewell."

Marie blinked and rushed to catch up with her fake boyfriend. She had to remember that his mood seemed to change suddenly at the mere utter of a word. The Kanker sister realized he didn't seem to be as compassionate as he was when he was younger. Double D never seemed to smile that much either. Marie wondered if when Edd and Kevin were alone that the excitably nerdy Double D came out to play. This whole situation really was a mess...

Thirty minutes later Edd was rounding the corner to the cul-de-sac and made his way over to Kevin's house quickly. Edd wondered briefly what was about to transpire between the two boys. He quickly shook out his jittery nerves and knocked on the door of his guy's house.

The door immediately swung open to reveal an irritated looking Kevin. "C'mon." he said and left Edd standing in the doorway. Edd grumbled and closed the door behind him before kicking off his boots and trudging up to Kevin's room.

Kevin closed the door behind Edd when he finally walked in and then sat down heavily in her computer chair while Edd crossed his slim legs and leaned back on the bed with an arm while his other lay limply in his lap.

"So...you and Marie huh?" Kevin asked eventually. His reaction had not been what Double D was expecting. Although Kevin tried to put on a hard front Edd could see the pain in his eyes. Should Edd tell Kevin the truth right away and possibly throw away a perfectly good opportunity to finally hear the jock's true feelings? It was deceiving, but Edd deemed it necessary to try and aid his hurting heart.

"Jealous?" Edd asked to which Kevin physically bristled in response. His hands gripped his chair so hard his knuckles turned white.

"I-" Kevin sighed a ragged breath and ran a hand through his short hair. "I didn't know we were seeing other people..."

Edd immediately felt a surge of guilt and confusion go through his gut. Kevin was clearly hurting, but he had never asked Edd to be his boyfriend. "We never made an agreement to be exclusive Kevin. Besides, the girl you were with looked like a good fit for you." Now Edd could feel his own anger and hurt surfacing.

Kevin's gazed turned steely and he glared at Edd. "Who? Ashley? What's that supposed to mean?"

"The girl looked...over-baked and under-cooked at the same time." Edd said casually and gazed out the window.

Kevin stood up with a finger pointing at Double D as his chair clattered to the floor noisily. "Are you calling me dumb Double Dweeb?"

"No. That would be rude. I am however, calling you a fool."

Kevin's blood boiled and he snatched Edd up by the front of his red shirt. The jock was far stronger than the raven-haired boy would ever be, so Edd wasn't surprised when he felt that his feet were no longer touching the floor. Although fear surged through his veins the teen tried hard to keep his calm front, which wasn't easy since Kevin's fist was poised to strike.

Edd sighed as he realized this wasn't getting him anywhere. He should have deduced that Kevin would turn to violence first before honesty when the situation depended on it. Edd then wondered what had happened to the jock who had made him lunch for a week straight before he found a part-time job at the mall? Long gone, definitely.

"Please put your fist down Kevin. Don't turn into the people who always manage to find a way to hurt me." Edd said quietly as his bruised appendage reached up to cradle his cheek. Kevin's eyes slowly went soft and he set Edd down on the bed and sat next to him quietly.

"I'm sorry. I guess I let my feelings get the better of me." the jock admitted as he glanced over the the other boy sitting on his bed. How could he stoop so low as to strike the one person he cared about?

"I apologize too...I was angry and hurt when I saw the two of you in the hallway today. Marie had to take me out to remind me to forget."

"Wait. Marie took you on a date...to forget about me?"

Edd smirked before looking at Kevin knowingly. "It wasn't a date, and she is most definitely not my girlfriend."

"Then ho-"

"We're doing a favor for each other. By pretending to 'date' we are saving ourselves from torment from our peers." Edd explained and softly massaged the muscle of his injured arm to help the dull pain.

The room was deathly silent until Kevin busted out into a fit of giggles. "O-oh thank God! I've been tearing myself apart since I told you we couldn't talk at school...and then I saw you with Marie and I almost ripped her tongue out!" Kevin howled in hysteria, tears forming in his eyes. Edd looked at him as if he had gone mad with wide eyes.

"K-Kevin? Are you well?"

Kevin sat up, wiped a tear from his eye and smiled a real smile at his Edd. "Yeah, I am for now."

"And Kevin?"

"Yeah?"

"What are we?" Edd asked out of pure curiosity. "I realize you have your reputation but I refuse to feel like this-" Kevin interrupted Edd with a passionate kiss on the lips. The pale teen was initially startled by the sudden action but quickly melted into it.

"I know it hurts inside Edd, but I can't let you get hurt again at school." Kevin whispered against his lips sadly as he continued to push Edd against his plush bed. Double D hummed to let Kevin know that he was listening. The red-head attacked Edd's lips once more before continuing.

"I know it seems like I don't care, but I _really_ do. I care so much. It hurts so much when we're at school and I can't even so much as _look_ at you without you getting reemed for something that's out of our control, God-!" Kevin moaned when Edd bit his lip and sucked it in between the gap in his teeth. When Edd had released him, Kevin buried is face in Edd's shoulder as he continued to speak.

"But when I can't get you out of my mind is the worst. When I think of you're smile, or how you blush when you're embarrassed, or about how you can ramble on for hours about something you love...that's the worst. Because I want to be the something you ramble to your friends about for hours and hours on end. I want to be able to hold your hand and kiss you by your locker. I want to be the one who's there for you no matter what. I _want_ to be your boyfriend. But I'm not strong enough to see you get hurt again Edd..."

The kisses slowly stopped as Kevin ranted with his forehead against Double D's, who was frozen in shock and happiness. "Kevin?"

"Yeah 'D?" he breathed, the smell of peppermint washed over Double D's face.

"You're rambling..." Edd whispered before placing a peck on Kevin's nose. The red-head chuckled deeply and laced his fingers with Edd's above their heads.

"I could ramble for hours about you Edd." Kevin admitted. Double D blushed fiercely and looked up at the handsome man that was holding him down.

"I will prove difficult I'm positive. But I would be a fool if I didn't promise you that we _can_ do this Kevin. We can be strong together."

Kevin rested his forehead against Double D's once again and took a shaky breath with a smile on his face. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."


	8. The Scar

Author's note:

Sorry I'm a little behind. I was shopping for Green Day merch.

* * *

Edd lay on Kevin's- correction, his _boyfriend's_ bed with his head resting slightly on Kevin's muscular chest. The jock had one arm slug around Double D's shoulders and the other resting behind his head as he stared up at his blank ceiling. Edd stared at the jock's massive trophy collection as he compared it to the one he once had. However instead of baseball and basketball trophies, his included many science awards.

The two had been quiet for a long time now, trying to come up with the next topic to tackle in their complicated relationship. Most of their feelings had been put out in the open a while ago after Kevin's heartwarming speech to Edd, and had now lapsed into a comfortable silence. Kevin has also admitted sheepishly that Edd was his first boyfriend. Edd merely nodded as he shoved the tip of his tongue through the gap in his teeth, he didn't want to sully Kevin's bravado with the fact that he had been around the block a few times when it came to boyfriends. Even if the number was in the low single digits.

Suddenly an idea popped into Double D's head and he quickly propped himself up onto Kevin's chest. The jock let out a breath of air before settling his gaze on his boyfriend with an arched eyebrow. "Are you going to tell me now Kevin?" Edd asked, trying to hide the eagerness in his voice.

"Tell you what?"

"Your dark secrets." Edd said. Kevin paused for a moment before his mouth made an 'O' shape. "You bargained with me saying you would tell me if I 'had fun' with you...and here we are." Double D said confidently and placed a light kiss on the tip of the red-head's nose. Kevin let out a low growl from his chest and enveloped Edd in his strong arms.

"You're just using me for my secrets, aren't you?" Kevin said as he held his little boyfriend close. Although Edd may look somewhat intimidating at first glance, the teen was almost a foot shorter than Kevin's six feet and five inch frame. It was no mystery why he was captain of the basketball team.

"I only use you for important things." Edd mused into the jock's neck, causing goosebumps to erupt on his tan skin.

"Like what?"

"Science." Edd said seriously causing Kevin to chuckle, then quickly sweep him into a searing kiss causing a giggle from the shorter boy. Kevin never thought a small sound could cause his chest to flutter like it had. After a moment Kevin relaxed his head back onto his pillow and sighed.

"So, dark secrets huh?"

Edd nodded. "If you don't wish to share then I shall respect that."

Kevin shrugged with Edd still in his arms and glanced at his ceiling once again. "I dunno where to start 'D. There's a lot of them."

"Perhaps you could start with the easiest, we'll work with the rest later. Or I could possibly share some of mine." Edd suggested as he got himself comfy in the soft bed. Kevin sucked on his lip in thought.

"I guess I could start with Ma." the red-head mumbled and rested his cheek on Double D's hat.

Double D nodded and played with the tips of Kevin's fingers. "Tell me about how great she was."

Kevin squeezed his eyes shut tightly as he felt the pain from the hole in his heart where his mother once resided. "She was...awesome. 'D, I remember she used to make these big ass quilts for the entire family for the holidays. Like, as soon as Christmas was over we would walk to the fabric store and start on the ones for next year..."

"Yeah?" Edd encouraged, feeling a similar pain of his own.

"Her name was Laura, I got my hair from her. She would take me to lunch every weekend when I was a little kid and let me pretend to pay the bill, y'know? Slip a twenty into my pocket or something to make me feel like was the one who was treating her instead of the other way around. God," Kevin pinched the bridge of his nose when his emotions were close to the surface. "She could light up a room with her smile. She was beautiful 'D."

Edd smiled at the way Kevin passionately spoke of his mother. "Your turn." the jock said and moved them into a spooning position.

"My mother's name was Christine. I believe she was a general surgeon, graduated from Harvard, and she liked to read." Edd explained, realizing he didn't know nearly enough about this woman who had given birth to him.

"What else?"

"...She liked the way I made her coffee. On the rare occasions when she and Father would come home I would make them coffee in the mornings. I remember her saying she liked it..." Edd started to ramble at such a pathetic memory. The only worthy memory to remember his mother by was her complimenting the coffee he had made her so many years ago.

Kevin was silent for a moment before he hesitantly opened his mouth to speak. "You don't know much about your parents, do you Edd?"

Edd bit his lip and focused on the warm breath on his neck as Kevin spoke. "No. I suppose I don't. Your turn."

"Okay." Kevin said and placed a soft kiss below Edd's jaw. "After Ma left, Dad started drinking...a lot. I don't even know my dad anymore than you know yours."

Edd pulled up one of Kevin's hands and pressed the back of it to his lips. "He would lock himself away in his room for hours, sometimes he forgot to go to work and sometimes he would forget to buy groceries instead of beer. Thank God I had Nazz back then. She let me have dinner at her house every night once I told her what was going on. But then there were the times he would get mad. D'you know what it feels like to have a glass bottle smashed on your head 'D? It hurts like hell." Kevin said calmly, as if he's relived those memories thousands of times to the point where it's just _natural_ to say them out loud and be totally at peace with it.

"I suppose you could say that..." Edd mumbled as he consciously felt the fabric of his hat touching the old would on his head.

"What?" Kevin asked seriously as he leaned up to try to look Edd in the eye.

"There was an accident when I was an infant." Edd started as he felt Kevin's burning gaze into his hat. "My father told me that it was simply a large birth mark, but it didn't add up. It didn't feel natural when I would touch the skin, so I decided to investigate further. I looked through some of the documents in my father's study and I had discovered one with my name written on the front of a thick folder. I knew it would break their trust in me if either of them caught me looking through their things but I just- I needed to know. It turned out to be a massive amount of papers about my medical history."

"And? What happened?" Kevin asked eagerly, but managed to hide it well. The mystery of Double D's hat had surrounded the cul-de-sac for years and now he was getting a front row seat to the whole thing. The story seemed like it was about to take a turn for the worst and Kevin wasn't enjoying himself nearly as much as he thought he would.

"The truth was I had..." Double D shook with the breath he took and Kevin held him tight and pressed hard kisses to the boy's hat. "I had a tumor, it was rather large so the doctors couldn't take it out all at once so it took a total of five surgeries. So the scar just kept getting bigger and bigger-" Edd started to sob and Kevin easily rolled his boyfriend over so that Edd could bury his face in Kevin's strong chest. Kevin was heartbroken from the story and the teen. All these years he had thought it was just years of bad hair days, but Edd was hiding something far more serious from the other kids.

"It's okay 'D I got ya. I'm here." Kevin tried to sooth him, if only succeeding a little. Something was better than nothing.

"It was the reason I got such severe headaches a few years ago. Lord, I could barely get out of bed for a month." Edd cried softly as all his painful memories came back to him and Kevin couldn't help but think of how strong his boyfriend actually was. Shit, no wonder the kid could walk around with a broken arm like it was nothing. Double D was used to the pain.

"Ya know? You're stronger than you think Edd. It's something to admire." Kevin said softly as he cupped Edd's face in his large hands. Edd hiccuped a few times before wiping the tears from away from his blue eyes.

"Thank you Kevin."

"You know it's like you have some sort of power over me 'D." Kevin said as he wiped a few stray tears away from Edd's face. "'Cause I'm sitting here and thinking about how I would anything for you and it's only been a few hours since we started dating."

Double D cracked a grin for the first time in what seemed like forever and kissed Kevin fully. "I'm so happy."

"I'm happy for us too Edd." Kevin said and hugged the boy close to him. The urge to rip off the hat still ever present in his thoughts but he knew Edd wasn't ready to go there yet, and Kevin was gonna wait for him. No matter how long it would take.

They were in this for the long haul.


	9. The Kankers

Author's note:

So a big thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, y'all are awesome! Can you guys see all the reviews? I can't. It says that right now I have 21 reviews but only 7 appear...Unless everyone went and deleted their review right after they posted it, which is fine. I aintcha mom. Go on and live yo life.

* * *

The next day at school started out to be too much for Double D. Nazz and Marie immediately flocked to the teen's sides with each of the girls grabbing an arm. "Hey Double D!" Nazz greeted with a wide smile Marie was too flustered to look at the girl, so she let go of Edd's arm and gently took his hand in hers while the other two talked. Edd noticed his fake-lover's lack of communication and set the wheels of his plan in motion.

"Nazz, excuse me, but have you ever really been introduced to Marie?" Edd said as he shoved the blue-hared girl forward a little. She was going to kill him for this later.

"Oh, no I guess not. Hiya Marie." Nazz said slowly, her brain trying to catch up with the sudden change of topic.

Edd scooted her a little closer. "Did you know that Marie is quite a gifted artist? Or that she's not nearly as nasty as we all remember her and her sisters to be."

Marie smacked Edd's healing arm, obviously distraught at the onslaught of embarrassment. "Edd?!" she whined at the teen and turned her heads towards her girl. "He's right, I'm actually quite a treat. Right Edd?"

"Of course Marie." Edd said with a smirk and Nazz giggled with a hand over her mouth.

"And beautiful?"

"Yes Marie."

"And talented?"

Edd rolled his eyes and shoved a hand into his pocket. "I thought you were listening when I was making you sound good. What a waste..." he said and stalked off to his locker leaving the girls behind to giggle. When he rounded the corner, Double D was surprised to see the other two Kankers waiting for him. Both of the girls looked relatively the same as they did many years ago except for a few small differences. Lee's hair still covered her eyes, but was pulled back into a long ponytail at the nape of her neck. Puberty had been good to her assets. A figure like an hourglass but the attitude and mouth of a sailor made men weary of her for good reasons.

May on the other hand was still short and had gotten chubby since high school but not by much. She still had her round baby face and hair once long hair was cut into a short bob. She wore a red flannel button up with a T-shirt underneath it with some sort of monster movie title on it, Edd couldn't read it though her crossed arms. "Hey Double D." Lee said in a sickly sweet voice that made Edd cringe.

"Can I help you ladies?" Double D asked as he pushed past them to get the books from his locker for study hall.

"Let's walk and talk." Lee said sternly as she waved an arm over her shoulder. May took a sip from the soda she was holding and started to follow her older sister. Edd merely nodded and shut his locker shut loudly. Edd really hoped this wasn't another fight. His other cuts and bruises from Eddy's favor to him had just cleared up and his boss wasn't exactly thrilled when his new star employee came into work looking like he had just gotten hit by a bus.

The trio had finally stopped when they stepped into an abandoned hallway that was blocked off on the other side so no students even bothered to come down the pitch black corridor. Once they were a safe enough distance from the entrance both May and Lee whirled around to face Edd, who stood there with his hands in his pockets trying to look indifferent.

"Listen Shortstack, I know what you're doing with Marie." Lee growled and made a point to let Edd know she was angry by the sound of her knuckles cracking.

"If you think for one second that we're gonna let you use her for one second you're gonna be sorry mister!" May added in as harshly as she could through her buck teeth.

"And I don't know what's going on with her in the first place- with turning down all these guys I managed to get for her like they were garbage! Now she's dating you?!" Lee yelled and threw her hands up in the air.

Edd whistled softly through the gap in his teeth and turned his eyes towards the ceiling. _They have no idea about Marie's sexuality..._ "Have you tried asking her yourself?" Edd asked, it may have came out condescending because me was met with a drink to the face.

"I don't like his attitude Lee!" May exclaimed with the stomp of a foot. "Let's fix it for him."

Edd braced himself as May stalked towards him but Lee's arm stopped her sister in her tracks as she was deep in thought. Edd decided to take a chance. "Did you? Or did you just scream at her?" he asked already knowing the answer.

Lee growled and punched the opposite wall angrily. She stood there for a moment before stomping over to the teen and pinned him to the wall. "What did she tell you?" Lee spat.

Edd contemplated the consequences for a moment in his mind. Tell Lee the truth and possibly have Marie beaten up by her own sisters, or tell Lee the truth and lay some of Marie's troubles to rest. If this went sour he would figure the rest out later. "How much do you love your sisters?" he asked after a moment.

"More than anything! I would do anything for them." she stated defiantly.

Edd smirked and felt Lee's grip loosen up. "No matter what? No matter who they are or what they decide to do for themselves?"

"...Yes?" Lee said after a moment, her mind still trying to see Edd's point.

"She told me that you two were trying to match her with all these different men. So I'm covering for her to let her gather her bearings before she makes her next move."

"But why would she go through all this?! Just date 'em and dump 'em!"

"Because she's gay, Lee. Marie has no interest in men." Edd finally said which made Lee back away from him slowly.

"Oh well that makes sense!" May suddenly chimed in a happy tone. "I always had a feeling..."

Suddenly, like many of his recent confessions to his friends, Lee started laughing. "The only thing I'm doing with Marie is pretending to be her boyfriend. Also she's a friend now." Edd explained further with a sigh at the end. The bell had long since rung but it was only study hall and he didn't have to work tonight so he could study all he wanted to when he got back to Eddy's.

Lee sniffed and wiped her nose on her jacket sleeve before turning to Edd. "I knew there was something wrong with Marie...but I didn't know it was that _simple_!" she smiled before doing something completely unexpected. Lee pulled Edd into a tight hug to which the boy froze. "Thanks Double D. For telling me the truth."

"You're quite welcome Lee. However please don't let her know that I've told you. She would try to rip me to pieces."

Shortly after that, a happy Lee and an equally (if not more) happy May skipped off behind Lee as the left the nearly abandoned corridor. With a long sigh Edd leaned against the wall heavily trying to take in the last half hour.

"Double D!" a familiar voice called followed by loud footsteps. Edd could just barely make out the Peach Creek letterman jacket that he often wore around the school. However he could make out Kevin's large number twelve that was sewn on.

"Kevin? What are you doing here?" Edd asked as he grabbed one of Kevin's hands that felt strangely larger than normal. Suddenly he felt very anxious and dropped the hand. It was too dark in the hall to see Kevin's face, but it had to be him. That was his jacket; the very same one he refused to let anyone else touch.

"I saw you and the two Kankers come down here so I was watching from the end." he said and suddenly stepped close to Edd, hot breath was rushing down his neck. "I missed you."

Once again Edd was shocked with another wave of anxiety. Something wasn't right. "Uh...I missed you too Kevin?"

"Was that a question?" he asked, suddenly harsh as he gripped the healing arm with one hand and held it over Edd's head. Kevin was right in his face. Suddenly with the close contact Double D realized something critical.

This guy wasn't Kevin.

He was another member of the football team, Edd couldn't remember his name but instead focused on the number on the jacket that had lied to him. "I knew the jacket was gonna work like a charm." the huge jock said smugly. "Kev never let's anyone touch his precious jacket."

Edd was fuming and shaking at the same time, he was positively livid at the moment. He was mad because he had so easily fell for the bait, and because he simply wasn't strong enough to fight a teen of the jock's massive size. Edd had briefly considered starting a work out regime.

"So," the man began. "You and Kev, huh?"

Edd shook his head. "No. Absolutely not." he said and was quickly met with a harsh blow to the gut "Guh-!" Double D heaved and spit a little on the concrete floor.

"Don't fuckin lie to me fag. Now tell me what's up with you and Kev before I do something I might regret."

Double D lifted his head off the back of the wall and shook his head again. "Nothing. W-we're not even friends." Edd said as the pain churning in his guy distracted him.

The large teen before him sighed gently before quickly hurling another punch Double D's way. As another blow hit his stomach Double D felt his pain triple.

"Okay, okay. Imma cut you a deal then before I kill you." he said, adjusting Edd's back higher up on the wall.

"Either you give _me_ a good time, or I blab to everybody and ruin Kev's reputation."

Edd's eyes widened in fear his entire body froze. Either allow this criminal have sex with himself and save Kevin's reputation, or save himself and lose Kevin. Double D took a moment to think.

What else did he have to lose?


	10. Sick

Author's note:

In that last chapter it really was supposed to be Kevin in the dark hall and I briefly thought about Kevin takin' my sweet little Edd right there in school but then I was like 'NO' and now things have gone terribly wrong.

* * *

 _What else did he have to lose?_

Double D blinked a few times and shook his head, tears blurred the edges of his vision as his brain and heart wrestled against each other to find a safe solution but the only thing he could think of was to beg. "You _have_ to give me another option!" Double D said in a shaky voice. The jock merely shook his head and stared the smaller teen down.

If ya don't come up with somethin' fast, I'll decide for ya." he said, making Double D gasp and shake. "If you have sex with me to keep my mouth shut, and then somehow let's say Kev finds out, he'd probably hate you. Y'know, for sinking so low as to prostitute yourself. Or I could tell the whole school and Kev would still hate you anyways. Plus all the football players...and baseball players..." he said, hinting at the underlying truth. Either way Double D was in the wrong. One way included selling himself for a small chance the jock would keep quiet, or tell the entire school and get killed when every sports team in Peach Creek high school would gang up on him.

Neither of the boys noticed the sound of footsteps until they had made their way right up to the jock and ripped him away from the small trembling teen. "Jarad? What the fuck are you doing? Is that my jacket?" the angry voice boomed, making Edd tremble violently. Jarad shoved his hands in his pockets and smirked devilishly at Double D.

"Oh nothin' Cap, just chatting with a friend. I'm excited to hear what you have to say Dweeb." Jarad said and walked out of the hall after handing to stolen jacket back to its owner.

Suddenly the real Kevin remembered that there was another person in the hall. "Oh, hey dude. Are you alright?" he asked as he got on one knee to meet the figure on the floor. One of Kevin's hands rested on the shoulder on the student and immediately recognized the leather jacket. "Oh God, _Edd_?!"

Kevin practically crumbled when Edd retracted from his touch. "Edd, baby, it's me. What'd that ass do to you?" Kevin said quickly and tried to inspect Edd for any injuries but the boy kept shrinking into himself. Kevin stopped before he sat in front if Double D and cradled his sweaty face in his rough hands. "Edd..." Kevin cooed and made Edd look at him in the eyes.

Edd finally looked at the teen and saw these breathtaking forest green eyes and the red cap and the orange hair- everything that made up Kevin. The way he said Edd's name, and called him 'baby', and how he cradled Edd's face anytime he was distraught. This was his guy. This was Kevin.

'K-Kevin, oh God!" Double D completely broke down into his boyfriend's arms. Ignoring the excruciating pain in his gut, he just clung to his boyfriend for what could have been one of the last times before Kevin turned on him. After a few moments of holding Double D, Kevin gently pushed him back and began to finally inspect the boy.

Edd looked fine, but his neck was red from Jarad holding Edd up to the wall for whatever amount of time that he did. "Fuck, 'D. I shoulda got here sooner..." Kevin mumbled to himself before pulling up his boyfriends shirt and furrowing his eyebrows together. "Are you feelin' okay Edd?" he asked in an eerily calm voice.

Double D suddenly felt dizzy and his body began to slump over.

 _I want to be the one who's there for you no matter what. I want to be your boyfriend. But I'm not strong enough to see you get hurt again Edd..._

Edd's eyes snapped open as he remembered the memory that had actually happened almost two weeks ago. Had it really been that long? Days just seemed to run together now...

"No, I'm fine." Edd said as firmly as he could as he straightened himself out. He had this sick idea in his head that if he went through another medical crisis that Kevin would leave him. Edd knew that wasn't entirely the case but it was enough to make him keep his mouth shut.

"'D your stomach's purple-"

"Kevin could you help me up please?" Edd asked with a small voice and Kevin heaved his boyfriend up easily. "Thanks-" Double D said but couldn't help but clutch his gut as something shifted uncomfortably inside of him. He grit his teeth for a moment before taking a few deep breaths to steady himself.

"Are you gonna throw up?" Kevin asked gently as he placed an arm around his partner's waist.

Edd winced as they started to walk. "Ugh-I need to tell you something important..." he said through a strained voice.

"It can wait Edd, right now-"

Edd stopped and sat down on a bench in the hallway that they were walking in, panting. "N-no, now." he ordered and to his surprise, Kevin immediately came to a halt in front of him. The red-head's muscles were evident under his navy long-sleeved shirt. Even in his state of pain, Edd still managed to swoon at how handsome Kevin always managed to look. He stood looking down at Edd with his arms crossed against his chest, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows revealing delicious tan skin.

Edd was starting the think his swooning wasn't because of his boyfriend as his vision blurred once more and he ended up tumbling to the cold linoleum floor. Kevin yelled his name a few times until Edd regained control of himself and found that he was on the floor in Kevin's arms rapidly waving over whoever was left in the hallway after school had ended.

The seemingly fragile boy rolled out of Kevin's arms and onto his hands and knees as he could no longer hide the pain in his gut. Kevin watched in horror as Edd heaved crimson liquid all over the floor. "Is that...blood?" a female voice asked in a hushed tone.

"Call 911!" another shouted.

"Edd, baby, can you hear me?" Kevin asked, not caring who heard his name for his boyfriend. Edd slowly sat back on his feet, relieved that the pain had gone for the moment. He turned his head to the red-head who still looked horrified at the sight of Double D who was deathly pale with this bright red liquid oozing from his mouth and freely dripping down his chin.

Kevin finally let tears reach the corners of his eyes for this guy he'd been fawning over for the past few months. Edd on the other hand couldn't be bothered with himself at the moment. The pain was gone and that was enough for his mind to wonder back to his impossible decision.

"Kevin-" he spluttered before he unconsciously used his hands to catch the blood he had started throwing up again. "I'm sorry," he managed to get out before the paramedics burst in and immediately ran towards the pool of blood. When they arrived to the scene they saw this bloody kid kneeling on the floor with another, larger teen trying to comfort him in any way.

"Please help him." Kevin pleaded as he laid Double D in the gurney. The lifted him up swiftly and Edd's hand fell over the side of and blood dripped down like rain. God, it was everywhere. The paramedics went to move away when something snagged his arm. Whipping around, he saw the cloudy eyes of his boyfriend staring at him and the bloody hand gripping his wrist. "Okay...it's gonna be okay 'D. I'm gonna stay with you."

"Alright let's go then people." one of the paramedics yelled and they all headed back towards the ambulance. Edd's hand never let go of Kevin's.

...

Kevin had sat in the waiting room for what seemed like hours. He called Eddy and Ed off of his boyfriend's phone and told them to haul ass down to the hospital. A few other of their friends caught word an soon all the cul-de-sac kids were gathered in a small group.

Kevin was a mess. His clothes were bloody and his hat lay abandoned in the chair beside him, and his face was red and tear-stained. "N-not to pry Kev, but why're you so choked up about 'D? I've never seen you so rough. Even when..."

"Ma left. I know, I know." Kevin finished for her. "You weren't there Naz, you didn't know what it was like seeing someone- especially _him_ heaving up so much blood."

It was quiet for a moment before the Kanker sisters showed up unexpectedly. Marie took an empty seat next to Kevin and grabbed his hand tight without a word. Kevin gratefully squeezed her hand and watched as Lee and May took seats by Rolf and Naz. Not a word was shared between the Kankers and the Eds until Naz spoke up once more.

"Why him?" Naz asked quietly. Kevin held his face in one hand and Marie squeezed his hand.

"Go ahead Marie. Tell 'em. I don't care anymore." Kevin said quietly. He would hang out with Marie and Edd on weekends when none of them had to work, so the three of them had gotten pretty close over the past two weeks.

Marie looked up to the small crowd before her and took a slow breath. "Edd and Kevin have been...dating for the past few weeks."

There was a short silence before a flurry of questions were hurling at Marie and Kevin.

"But what I thought that you and Edd were going out?" Jimmy said as he leaned forward in his chair. Marie froze, she hadn't thought of a cover for herself and Nazz was sitting _right there_!

"They said that because I wasn't ready to come out. Both Double D understood it was really important for me to keep my rep strong." Kevin explained.

Eddy stood up with a red face. "Important? Please explain how it was important."

"So no one would hurt him." Kevin said as he looked at Eddy with teary eyes. "Some boyfriend I am." he scoffed. "I can't even keep him safe...!" he said with a cracking voice and put head in his hands again. Kevin didn't care who knew about his relationship anymore, because the only thing he really wanted right now was to be with Edd. He couldn't have cared less about the upcoming competitions between his basketball team or the fact that he was gonna get hell for coming out.

"Family of Eddward Vincent?" a doctor called out and both Kevin and Eddy raced to the desk.

"Is he alright?" Kevin and Eddy asked at the same time. The doctor held his hands up with a little smile.

"It was touch and go there for a while, but he's stable now. He'll be ready for visitors in a few hours, so please go home and get some decent food and rest. Are the parents here?" the doctor asked looking around the two boys.

"No his parents left like six months ago, but I'm like his brother! And this is his boyfriend." Eddy said, waving his hands around a little bit.

"Alright, here's what I can do..." the doctor went on to list Kevin and Eddy as emergency contacts in Edd's file and promised to call them as soon as Double D woke up. After the doctor walked away, Eddy patted the jock's arm lightly.

"Looks like our Dork's gonna be okay."


	11. Stitches

Author's note: It's getting better for now. But 'tis a short one.

* * *

Hours later Edd was lying down in a hospital bed with a dull pain in his stomach. The doctor recently explained the cause of his situation to him, his stomach had ruptured and immediately started to fill with blood by the sheer force of Jarad's punches. If the paramedics hadn't been called when they did, Edd would be a few floors lower with a toe tag instead of staring up at the ceiling feeling his stitches with a light touch. They ran from left to right across his chest just by his lower ribs. He took his hand away from his new stitches to run his fingers along the old scar on his head. _'Of course they took my hat. I just had surgery not that long ago.'_

In that thought, his doctor came strolling in. "Hello Eddward. How're you feeling?"

"I'm fine, just a bit sore, thank you." Edd said, giving the woman a little wave from his spot.

"Good, good. Glad to hear. I just came to do a check up and have a few words with you." she said and pulled up a chair to the teen's bed. "I heard your parents are doing quite well for themselves these days." she asked, her name last name was Willard according to her coat. Edd gave the woman a strange look wondering where she had acquired such information.

"How do you know this?' he asked, Edd's curiosity piquing. His doctor probably knew his parents from the few years that they worked in this hospital. At least _that_ made sense.

Willard shrugged and crossed her short legs. "I called them of course."

Edd shot up in bed, causing Willard to jump from her spot with her hands up. "How? I couldn't call them. I tried every number I knew! How-"

"Eddward please calm down. You'll rip you're stitches." Willard tried to reason but Double D pushed her hands away, hungry for more information about his estranged parents.

"Why did you call them?" the teen asked impatiently.

Willard blinked once in confusion. "To inform them of their son's condition. Why wouldn't I?"

Edd pulled at his hair in annoyance and frustration. "Why? Oh, I forget. They abandoned me six months ago with a massive debt from their house! I had to sell everything that I owned to pay off the bank. For Christ's sake I had no money for food!" the teen yelled as he slapped the railing of his bed for emphasis.

Willard stared at him blankly before her eyes flickered down to the arm he was using to abuse the bed. It looked strange, as if it was almost crooked. As a doctor Willard had the urge to take Eddward to get an x-ray. but instead she questioned the boy further. "What are you talking about? They never even mentioned that when we discussed flights."

" _Flights?!"_

...

A nurse led Kevin and Eddy towards Double D's room quietly. The two teens were indeed anxious to see their friend since the incident at school, especially Kevin who craved to hear the sound of his boyfriend's voice and not the strangled noises of blood in his mouth that he had last heard.

Kevin shivered at the thought and moved his mind other places. "So who did this?" Eddy asked for a second time as the red-head clearly wasn't listening.

"Oh, um, I have a feeling it was Jarad Forb. The big one from the football team. I found them in that abandoned hallway, Edd was fuckin' terrified when I pulled Jarad off him." Kevin explained.

Eddy grit his teeth angrily. "Did you call the cops?"

Kevin shrugged with a smug grin on his face. "Maybe. But they're waiting to hear from Edd himself. They can't really do anything until then."

The nurse was about to knock on the door to Edd's room before a loud crash and muffled yells were heard though the wood. The nurse literally jumped back with a hand to her chest as the two boys automatically stepped closer to hear more.

 _"Edd please!"_

 _"I don't accept this! I refuse to see them!"_

 _"Edd your-"_

 _"They think that they can just appear and- ugh. Ow..."_

Edd stopped mid-rant to place a hand on his stomach and a very pale looking Dr. Willard immediately ran over to him. "Damn." she said and slapped the emergency call button on the wall. Edd's hospital gown was starting to turn a familiar crimson from his stitches. Edd had went to throw an empty water pitcher beside his bed before and twisted a bit too far for his stomach's liking.

Nurses and other doctors ran into Edd's room has he began to feel faint. An oxygen mask was placed over his face as they flattened the bed so they could rush him to get his stiches repaired. One doctor, presumably a resident applied pressure to his chest nervously as they began to wheel him off.

Dr. Willard stood by the door of Edd's room and watched the team of doctors and nurses push him into an elevator when she was met with two boys.

"What the hell happened in there?" a red-head asked. Dr. Willard snapped out of her daze and turned to face them.

"I'm sorry, who are you two?" she asked, stuffing a hand in her lab coat pocket.

The shorter teen huffed and stepped forward a little. "We're Edd's emergency contacts. Kevin Barr, Eddy...McGee."

"McGee? Really?" Kevin mumbled towards the other boy.

"Shaddup Shovelchin." Eddy hissed.

Dr. Willard watched the interaction for a moment before she let out a little chuckle and Kevin observed the woman who had most likely sent his boyfriend back to surgery. Her hair was this odd ash blonde color that was chopped very short except for her bangs, they pretty much had the same haircut. She had a little hooked nose and thin lips; this woman could not have been very old. "Why are you still here?"

"I'm an orthopedic surgeon, I would only be an extra body in the room...Did Eddward break him arm recently in the past few months?"

Kevin and Eddy glanced at each other briefly before nodding. "Yeah, like six months ago. Why?" Eddy asked.

"I'll have to get a closer look and an x-ray, but Eddward's arm looked crooked. I noticed he couldn't hold his arm straight while I was chatting with him earlier." Dr. Willard explained with a finger on her chin. "Did he go to the doctor?"

"No, he took care of it himself." Kevin said, remembering when he tried to push the boy to get a cast.

Willard paused. "Why not? It's very clear that something's wrong with his arm. He _is_ going to have to get his arm broken again to reset the bone."

Kevin shivered before answering the irritated woman. "H-he said he wouldn't be able to pay the bill if he went."

"Oh. I see..." she mumbled in a daze as she stared at the elevator the troubled teen had vanished into not that long ago. "Anyways, Eddward ripped his stitches open. So he was rushed into surgery to repair them. Depending on how bad the damage is, it could take one to three hours. Feel free to visit the cafeteria or sit in his room while you wait for him." she said and walked off quickly.

Eddy stood frozen in the middle of the hall and clutched the chest of his shirt. The teen had finally grasped an idea of how broke Double D truly was, and now he was going to have a whole slew of new bills being sent his way all because of some bully.

Kevin saw the distraught look on Eddy's face and clapped him on the back half-heartedly. "Let's go get some food and we can come back and wait for Edd."

"Sounds good tough-guy."

"Whatever Dork."


	12. Stitches: Part 2

Author's note: Reviews keep me afloat.

* * *

Once again Eddward Vincent was reclining in his hospital bed staring at the blank ceiling before him. He had a fresh gown on along with a nice pair of restraints on his wrists that kept his movement at bay. He couldn't blame them for basically tying him to the bed after he had ripped himself open out of a fit of anger. It was for his own good.

Dr. Willard had not come to see him after his second surgery as he had expected. The woman was the underlying cause of the inner turmoil he was now facing. Edd's parent's were almost certain to come see him now that they knew of his condition thanks to that dreadful doctor. What was he going to say to them? What if they apologize, should he just forgive and forget? They were his parents after all, but in a way Edd realized that they were never there for him in certain aspects that a parent should be.

Mother and Father weren't there for his birthdays or award ceremonies for his impressive achievements. They were also absent when Eddward had his biennial check ups for his tumor. No one was there to hold his hand if bad news did happen rear its ugly head in his direction. While he read in his files that he had received five surgeries when he was younger to remove as much of the tumor as they could, it was very aggressive. Every time they would remove a section, it would begin to grow back almost immediately.

The raven-haired teen sighed as he leaned his head back against the hard pillow. It was almost time for one of his check ups. The last one had revealed a small bit of the tumor residing deep in his brain, but had not grown thanks to his diligence in taking his pills. He had been dealing with the truth of his illness for years, always managing to keep it at bay for the sake of his friends and his own sanity.

The door to his room opened slightly and a hesitant knock was heard. "Enter." Edd said aloud as he rolled his head to the side lazily to look at his guest. A small smile made his way onto his face as his favorite red-head strolled into his room. Kevin was dressed in a pair of long basketball shorts and a black pullover sweatshirt.

"Hey you," he said with a smile as he pulled a chair up to Edd's bed and sat in it backwards.

"Hello Kevin." Edd greeted back. He wanted to reach out and grab his hand but thought twice as he remembered that he was tethered to his bed.

"I brought you this, by the way." Kevin said as he dug through his backpack only to pull out Edd's beanie. Edd gasped slightly, remembering that a thin cap given to him by a somewhat understanding nurse was all that kept his scalp a mystery to Kevin. Double D immediately went to grab it out of the other boy's hand when his wrist was snagged back.

Edd looked down at the beige restraint and cursed it silently. There was no possible way he could put the hat on by himself. Meanwhile, Kevin frowned deeply at how his boyfriend was tied down. "What happened?"

Double D lowered his eyes. "Nothing really."

Kevin scoffed and stood so he could adjust his chair to sit right. The red-head gently turned Edd's face to his and let his stare do the talking for him. Double D began to squirm under his partner's glare, part of the smoldering look left him rather hot and bothered while the other half reminded him of when the teen would beat him and his friends to a pulp.

"I-I might have thrown a pitcher at a doctor." Edd admitted sheepishly and looked down.

Kevin let out a hearty laugh and leaned in to give his boyfriend a quick peck on the lips. The action had reminded Edd of a very important subject at hand. "K-Kevin I need to talk to you about what happened."

"Don't worry 'D, I already talked to the police. They're all ready to take him down as soon as you give them the word." Kevin said with a proud smile as he held Edd's incapacitated hand.

"T-thank you, but that's not the important part-"

"What do you mean that's not important?! The dude almost killed you and _that's not important_." Kevin growled as he threw a hand up in the air and leaned back in his chair.

"No Kevin, please-" Edd tried to get his words in but Kevin interrupted him once again.

"Dammit Edd I was fuckin' worried about you and-"

Edd felt useless without the use of his hands to stop Kevin's rant, so instead Edd threw his head back onto the bed and shouted over the jock. "Kevin! He threatened me!"

Kevin whirled around with wide eyes. "Well duh 'D, he-"

"He threated me with..." Double D bit his bottom lip and looked down before spitting out his next words. "He said...that if _I_ had _s-sex_ with him that he would keep quiet about us. Kev, he knew. He tricked me and manipulated me." Edd's small admittance started out with a large voice but ended in barely a whisper as the teen was reduced to a sniveling mess. Terribly distraught over the imminent loss of his boyfriend of whom he cherished so much.

Kevin was quiet as Edd tried not to lose it over his depressing combination of words and thoughts; Edd closed his eyes tight and turned his head down in shame. "Edd..."

"I tried to tell you before, while we were at school but I kept-"

Kevin was immediately at Edd's bedside undoing his partner's restraints quietly. "Kevin I-"

"You talk too much." Kevin said as he freed Edd's hands. Then he lowered the railing of the bed and climbed in much to Edd's surprise. Kevin rested an arm around Edd's shoulders without a word and leaned the side of his face on the smaller boy's head. "I'm sorry Edd. I had no idea it would come to this...I wish I could change how some people feel but I can't. And seeing you like this hurts me..." Kevin said in a quiet voice. Double D wrung hid hands nervously as a few lone tears rolled down his face, preparing for the inevitable.

"Are you going to leave?" Double D asked in a meek voice. This caught Kevin by surprise as he looked down at Edd, who looked incredibly small and fragile at the moment. His beautiful blue eyes were like an ocean of worry amongst the porcelain skin of his face. Tufts of inky hair poked out from his donated scrub cap and Kevin couldn't help but smile sweetly at his little dork.

With a gentle touch, Kevin slowly slid his hand up and dipped his fingers under the blue fabric while he looked Double D in the eyes. He saw Edd's small hands twitch, but they made no move to stop him. Slowly the red-head slipped the cap off and tossed it on the floor behind them and tucked Edd's head into his chest after taking a glance at the scarred scalp. Kevin saw the thick trail of scarred skin that started from the part of his hair on the right and stretched down to the crown of his head. He also noticed a smaller trail of pink skin that made it's way back to behind his ear.

Secretly Kevin had looked up some research on brain tumors so he could be ready for Edd when the time came to see. He was preparing himself for what he might see, but compared to the gnarly pictures of fresh stitches and swollen faces, Edd looked even more breath-taking than ever. That was just a scar, and this was just a really rough patch in life. Storms pass and things move on, and the two teens were living proof of that.

"Y'know," Kevin said after a moment of thinking and lifted Double D's chin up with a finger. "You need to have more faith in us 'D. Just because things seem impossible right now doesn't mean that everything'll be the same in a month or so. Storms pass Edd, right now we're just in the middle of one."

Double D hiccupped and tugged Kevin down so he could wrap his arms around the other's neck without straining himself. "I w-was so w-worried, I don't want to lose you Kevin. You m-mean so much to me!" Edd said with a quivery voice. The chuckle that came from Kevin's chest made Edd's stitched up stomach tingle.

The words yearned to leave Kevin's mouth, to whisper them into Edd's mouth and breathe sweet nothings into the crook of his neck every night they were together. Kevin wanted to feel every inch of Edd in a bed of their own, he wanted so much more for them. But he didn't want to rush things because this was a whole new experience for Kevin and he was going to make mistakes. God forbid he went in blind.

"You mean the world to me 'D. Remember, you promised me we could do this so I'm holding you up to it okay?" Kevin laughed and kissed Edd fully on the lips, making the smaller boy practically melt in his arms. _I love you..._ Kevin thought fiercely.

"Oh, and 'D?"

"Yes Dear?" Edd asked sweetly, making Kevin's heart clench pleasantly.

"The whole gang knows about us now. I had Marie tell 'em earlier." Kevin admitted, casting his gaze to the floor where he saw the discarded beanie on the floor.

"Oh, how did they take the news?" Edd asked as Kevin adjusted the hat on his partner's head carefully.

Kevin shrugged nonchalantly. "Really well actually. Mostly they just asked questions about how and when, but then they were confused about you and Marie."

Edd nodded and sighed after Kevin finished explaining the situation to himself. "Somethin' wrong?"

"I also have news." Edd admitted before looking up at his boyfriend. Kevin nodded for Edd to continue. "I'm fairly positive that Mother and Father are flying out to see me."

 _"What?!"_


	13. Mother

Author's Note:

Did I ever mention how I came up with the title of this story? It was actually a tie between two songs that I really liked when I first got into Kevedd. It was _Automatic_ by ZHU x AlunaGeorge and _Roses_ by The Chainsmokers. I don't know why I ended up choosing the one I did. Who knows? If I end up making a sequel to this story one day I could use _Roses_ as the title.

* * *

The next day the police came to visit Edd at the hospital to speak to him about Jarad. They two officers were both very nice people who were patient when Edd described the situation to them. The male officer sat by the bed with a notepad in hand as he wrote down details. "And how many times did Forb strike you?"

"Twice, both times in my stomach which caused it to tear." Double D explained, a hand resting on his wound in remembrance.

The officer nodded and scribbled on the notepad and continued with the questioning. "Was there anything else he did or said that you think is crucial to the investigation?"

Kevin, who was sitting quietly on the other side of the bed reached to hold Double D's hand in support. Double D glanced at Kevin but saw that he was sitting with his head down with some unreadable expression. "He, um...Jarad threatened me with sex. He said that if I didn't-" the words caught in Edd's throat for a moment before he pressed on. "If I didn't have sex with him he would have all the sports teams come and beat me."

"Alright, I believe we have everything we need. Thank you for sharing your side of the story with us Eddward, and rest assured that we are going to do everything in our power to make sure Forb goes to jail." the man said and shook Edd' s hand confidently. Suddenly the door opened and a nurse popped her head inside.

"Mr. Vincent? You have a visitor. Oh, I'm sorry. Am I interrupting?" she asked.

The other officer shook her head with a small smile. "No, we were just finishing up."

The nurse nodded and opened the door to reveal a short and slender woman who wore a maroon blouse and a black pencil skirt that ended just below her pale knees. Her black hair was set in a French twist and her blue eyes were cold and calculating. The red lips on her thin face was resting in a thin line. Kevin finally looked up as the woman's high heels clicked loudly on the floor as she walked further into the room.

Edd's grip on Kevin's hand dramatically as he stared up at the woman. She looked remarkably good for someone who abandoned her son so many months ago.

"Hello Mother."

The woman's face gave in as she dropped her designer bag at the sight of her son. Eddward looked thin and tired since she had last seen him, which might have been last year by her calculations. His jaw was much more defined and his collar bones were sticking out much too far to be considered healthy. When her eyes met his, she saw the same blue eyes she had always loved, but they harbored dark circles under them. Eddward looked away from her and down at his lap. Oh, what he must have thought of her, what a monster she must have seemed like in her son's eyes no doubt.

There were no words she could have said to him in that moment to make up for all those years of neglect and especially these most recent months. All she could think of was to drop to her knees on the filthy floor and smear her perfect makeup on the side of Eddward's bed.

Double D was caught off guard as his incredibly professional mother fell apart in front of him and honest to God sobs ripped from her throat. He turned to look at Kevin with questioning eyes only to see that his boyfriend also had many questions running through his mind. Edd had thought about what he would say to his mother if he ever saw her again. He knew there would be much yelling and he had a dictionary of colorful words to sling at them as he proclaimed his new found independence away from the strangers he called his parents. This was not what he had planned.

Now, at this moment his once beloved mother had returned to him seemingly full of regret and sorrow for himself. True, he pitied the woman, but months of pent of anger that had been stewing in his gut doesn't just vanish. "Mother,"

Christine lifted up her head and pushed the bangs out of her teary face. "Oh, Eddward. I'm so- _so sorry._ I know you'll never truly forgive me after all that your father and I have and haven't done for you. But please know that I am sorry for everything Sweetheart." she sobbed as she leaned on his bed heavily.

Edd was quiet for a moment before he snapped out of her daze of words. "Mother, please pull up a chair. Where is Father."

Christine obeyed her son and quickly wiped a few tears away. "Your father is...your father left me a month ago after we lost another patient. He couldn't bear to face you after he's failed so many times." she explained to a severely confused Eddward. Kevin sat quietly in the background, wondering whether or not he should leave and let Edd have a private moment alone with his mother.

"Edd, I'm gonna give you and your ma some time alone, okay?" Kevin said quietly as he began to stand up from his chair.

Double D firmly held his hand to prevent him from escaping. "False. Sit down Kevin, you're staying."

"But 'D," Kevin tried to protest, it wasn't his place to explode on this woman if she said the wrong thing, even if she did fuck up his boyfriend's life.

Edd tugged on his hand to try to get him to sit down again. "If you try to leave I will throw something at you."

Kevin chuckled and sat back down heavily. "Of course Dear."

Double D then turned back to his mother who looked very focused on Kevin and he cleared his throat gently. "Mother, this is my partner Kevin Barr, Kevin this is my mother Christine."

Christine paused for a moment. "Partner?"

Kevin looked up to the ceiling as to pray to whatever God was up there to not fucking lose it on this woman today. After a second Kevin put on his most charming fake smile and leaned in to shake her hand. "I'm his boyfriend, Mrs. Vincent."

"Oh! I'm sorry! My brain's a tad scrambled right now. All I could think of was a partner for a science project! Forgive me Kevin, it's nice to meet you." she rambled with a wave of her hands and shook Kevin's hand happily. It was nice to know her son had support during these trying times in the family.

"Anyways, Mother. Why did Father leave?" Edd asked, showing little sympathy.

"We were working on our research for many years now, and have gone through many patients in hopes for a cure. We lost the last patient, and the hospital cut our funding and ended our study. We've lost so many people throughout the years Eddward. After that your father left. He said he couldn't come home to you knowing he let you down."

"I'm afraid I'm not following you."

Christine sighed and grabbed her son's hand. "He couldn't come home knowing he couldn't get rid of your tumor without killing you Eddward."

At that moment he let go of his mother's hand and covered his eyes with his own. Kevin felt like he had the wind knocked out of him at the piece of information Edd's mother let slip. Double D still had a brain tumor and it apparently inoperable. Was he going to die? How many years did he have left? Five? Fifty?

Edd finally released his face from his hands and started to wring his hands out of nervousness. "I'm fine, I've been taking my pills twice daily myself since I found out eight years ago. All my check ups have showed no growth."

Christine was quiet for a moment. "No headaches?"

"No Mother."

Christine teared up once more and engulfed her son in a bone crushing hug. Kevin took the chance and put a supportive hand on Double D's back before sneaking out of the room to get some much needed air.

Soon Kevin was out of the hospital and sitting out by his motorcycle. God, he hated the feeling of his chest clenching painfully. His boyfriend had been hiding a secret brain tumor from everyone, _for eight years_. But he said there was no growth, for presumably almost a decade there had been no growth, which made him sigh. Maybe there was a God after all.

Kevin reached into the bags hanging on his motorcycle and pulled out his secret pack of emergency cigarettes. It was a rare thing these days, but he'd never needed one so badly until now.


	14. The Talk

Kevin made his way back to Edd's room a few cigarettes later. He ran a hand through the long hair on top of his head and sighed heavily. He knew he smelled like the tiny cancer sticks, and his boyfriend would have to remind him of all the damage cigarettes can cause to the human body.

When the teen walked into the room he was startled to see that it was empty. Edd's mother sat alone in a corner of the room looking down at something in her purse. She hadn't noticed him walk into the room until Kevin cleared his throat. "Mrs. Vincent? Where'd Edd go?"

Christine's head snapped up before setting her book like item down. "They went to go reset his arm and do some scans. he should be back soon Kevin."

"Reset his arm? I thought everything was good?" Kevin asked as he sat down in the other chair.

Christine shook her head. "No, it was healed, but in the wrong way. So the two end pieces of the broken bone were unaligned when the arm began to repair itself. I'm very surprised he was able to move his arm at all."

"Are you gonna pay for his hospital bills then?"

Christine's eyes narrowed at Kevin's tone. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"Don't ya ever wonder why his arm is messed up in the first place? This is Eddward we're talkin' about here. Everybody knows he would've rushed to the ER ranting about osteoblasts and necrosis." Kevin explained as he leaned back in his chair. He always had the habit of reading up on subjects that interested or affected his boyfriend. So of course he and Edd talked about what could happen with his arm.

 _"'D, this looks bad. Are you sure you're not gonna go get it checked out?" Kevin asked as the two teens sat in his bathroom surrounded by antibiotics and Ace bandages. Kevin held Edd's limp arm in one hand while he cleaned it with the other._

 _"I once lived with two successful doctors Kevin and I'm trying my best. But I can't afford any more debt than I already have." Edd explained as he tried to move his fingers._

 _"But couldn't something happen?" Kevin asked worriedly as he turned the arm over to look at the underside. He had to admit that without his make-shift splint that Edd's arm resembled something like a stair step and it as a little sickening to look at. The bones shifted dramatically in Edd's thin arm when there was nothing to hold it together._

 _"Of course, there're always complications with everything. My bones could become necrotic and I could loose my arm, I could get a serious infection, there's a chance my blood vessels can become constricted which will result in tissue loss, or I could have these masses of bone grow in my arm when it tries to heal itself. The list goes on Kevin."_

 _"Are you scared? Jesus, I'd probably be crying like a bitch right now if I were you." Kevin sighed heavily and ran a hand over his face. Double D merely shrugged with a small smile and rested a reassuring hand on his cheek._

 _"I'll be alright Kevin, please don't worry about me."_

 _"How could I not worry about you? You're like, everything." Kevin said, not amused by Edd's reassurance._

 _Edd looked at the jock blankly. "Everything? I don't understand."_

 _"C'mere." Kevin said softly and pulled Edd in by his chin to give him a loving kiss. The arm was temporarily forgotten as Kevin traced Edd's lips with the tip of his tongue, asking for entrance. Edd opened his mouth a little for the red-head, but it wasn't enough for Kevin. He dove into Edd's mouth and his tongue explored every surface causing the other boy to weave a hand through the long locks that sat on top of Kevin's head and pull back._

 _The jock let out a primal growl as his head tipped backwards and Edd began to place light kisses on Kevin's jugular and then moved lower to the collar of his shirt to bite his skin where no one could see. His own private little mark to prove that Kevin was his own._

 _Edd pulled away when he decided that he had been thorough enough with the love bite and moved to finish wrapping up his arm quickly. Kevin joined in as well and when everything was good and tight he scooped Edd up in his strong arms and began to walk to his room. "K-Kevin?"_

 _"Yeah 'D?" Kevin asked as he kicked his door shut behind him and gently set his boyfriend on the bed._

 _Edd said nothing as he watched Kevin lock the door of his room and joined him on the bed. Gently, Kevin pushed Edd into the plush bed and climbed over him to press kisses into his neck. The warm breath from Kevin's mouth as he harassed Edd's skin made the smaller teen writhe under the joc_ _k. Kevin merely chuckled and continued his assault._

Kevin snapped out of his daydream and turned his attention back to the older woman sitting across from him. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I said why wouldn't he?" she asked again.

Kevin furrowed his eyebrows and fixed his gaze at the woman. "Edd had no money. He was almost homeless until one of his friends took him in. I brought him lunch at school until he found a job. For Christ's sake, he sold everything to try to pay off the massive debt you left him."

Christine blanched. "W-what?! That can't be right! Charles- _Charles_." she said his name with accusation and then hung her head in her hands. The woman's French twist had been let out long ago and inky black hair now ran in waves down her back. Kevin waited for her to continue but she never did. She just sat hunched over in her chair and muffled her sobs with her hands.

The red-head sighed to himself as he looked at the pitiful sight before him. Without really thinking about it, he got up and moved to one of the seats beside her. Hesitantly, he put a comforting hand on her back and thought to himself for a moment. God, how much he wanted to hate this woman. He put his love through hell because of their selfishness and abandoned him for so many years. He just wanted to kick her out of the hospital and tell her to leave and not come back, Edd had better family waiting for him in his friends.

But then again, this was Edd's mother, not his own. "Y'know, it was hard on a lot of people when everything happened with Edd, his friends couldn't get close to him. I remember Eddy came to me one day and, though I don't think he'd ever admit it, he fucking _bawled._ He cried about not being able to help his best friend." Kevin spoke gently, his deep voice seemed distant as he delved deeper into his thoughts. Christine wasn't sure where the teen was going, but let him continue anyways.

"That was when I started getting close to Edd y'know? I went over to his old house one day and it was a _mess_. The dude threw a picture at the wall. I helped him clean everything up and after that we were inseparable. I brought him lunch at school, I could tell he was hurtin'. I knew what he was feeling back then, when he avoided the cafeteria like it was the plague. I've been there."

"W-what do you mean?" Christine sniffled as she took a tissue out and blew her nose.

Kevin shrugged and continued on. "My ma left a while back, six years I think. It changes people when someone you love just vanishes. It changed my dad for sure, he went from a business man to a bumbling alcoholic who couldn't recognize his own son. On nights when I'd have to go pick up at the police station, he tried to attack me with his hand cuffs..."

Kevin paused with his fingertips lightly touching his throat before he went on. "Anyways, some asshole broke his arm when he accused Edd for being gay. Then he tried to hide it from me on his goddamn birthday but I cornered Edd when all the cul-de-sac kids showed up and threw a party for him. He said he didn't want me to worry about him. God, I just wanted to hold him and never let go. I still do, but I think he's afraid things'll get to rough and I'll leave." Kevin confided and took off his hat. "But my point is, is that when you showed up I wanted to hate you so bad. I wanted to hate you for all the hardships you put him through, and then I saw how apologetic you were. I feel like there's another side to this we don't know and it's stopping me from accepting you. Edd's going to be a part of my life now, and if you're going to be a part of his- you need to find a reason for me to like you. I'm not letting Edd get hurt again."

Christine was awe-struck at the audacity of this young man before her. Normally she would have reprimanded and reminded him about exactly who the boss was, but this was entirely called for. Kevin was right and Christine slowly realized this throughout Kevin's reminiscing; things couldn't just magically go back together. She couldn't just pop back into her son's life after so many years and expect everything to be fine. She needed to earn her son's love back as well as his boyfriend's trust.

"You love him, don't you Kevin?" Christine asked once her tears had dried.

Kevin was quiet for a moment. "I really do, but he doesn't know it yet."

Christine smiled at Kevin and placed a delicate hand on his forearm. "I'm glad. He needs someone as devoted and caring as you are in his life. I just hope I can redeem myself Kevin."

"Well, you came back and apologized. That's a start."


	15. Hunger

Eventually Edd was allowed to go home after the doctors were sure that he wouldn't be able to tear his stomach on his own anymore. His stitches were healing slowly, leaving behind a scar that was about five inches long across his stomach. True, it shouldn't have mattered to the boy as he had many other scars in his possession, but it was still another scar.

At the moment he stood in front of Eddy's full length mirror looking at himself. His cast and the sleeve of his black cardigan mixed awkwardly and he had to settle with rolling up his sleeves on both arms so he could match. "What's up Sockhead?" Eddy asked as he read the latest spread of _Jiggy_ on his bed. The shorter of the two was still in his sleepwear and didn't plan on dressing until the last possible moment before they had to leave for school.

"I seem so small." Edd said as he looked at the baggy pants that used to fit him so well and they were skinny jeans to make matters worse. Eddy set down his magazine on the bed and walked over to his friend.

"Nah, you're at least a good head taller than me." Eddy said jokingly as he tried to lighten Double D's mood. True, his friend did look thinner than he usually did, a liquid diet can do that to you. At this point the ravenette looked like a twig compared to his giant of a boyfriend. His _boyfriend._ Eddy was still getting used to the phrase. Not that he was homophobic which was totally not the case, he just never imagined his Sockhead and Shovelchin making it official.

Double D caught on to Eddy's act and smiled anyways. "Right, of course. Thank you Eddy." he said and sat down on the bed heavily.`"I'm so hungry..." he moaned and rolled onto his side.

"Then eat somethin'."

Edd moaned. "I try, but nothing stays down. Mother says it's because my stomach still swollen from surgery, but I just want food."

Eddy blinked a few times before slowly turning towards his friend. "Mother? As in your mom? What the hell?! I thought she was gone!" the teen yelled as he threw his arms out wide.

"Oh, apparently she flew all the way out to Peach Creek to see me. She seems...apologetic, but Kevin is telling me to stay weary of her."

Eddy nodded fiercely. "Ya damn straight! Did she even have an excuse for all those months?"

Edd sat up and rubbed his stomach. "I need food. Please, we'll talk about this later I promise Eddy."

Double D's best friend screamed in anguish as he stomped into his closet only to reappear fully dressed seconds later. Angrily, Eddy grabbed his car keys and waved them in Edd's face. "You tell me on the way."

Eddy gripped the steering wheel tight while he drove to the nearest McDonald's. "Okay, I'm waiting." he said anxiously, his left leg bouncing furiously beneath the wheel.

Double D pulled his hat down over his eyes and sighed. "What was the original question again?"

Eddy groaned and pulled into the drive-thru. "Why did she disappear?"

"Oh, Okay. Well, y-you know about my, um..."

"The ticking time bomb in your brain? Yeah, I gotcha." Eddy said nonchalantly. "Uh, yeah I'll have the steak bagel meal. Uh, 'D what do you want?"

Double D would have punched Eddy in the face if it weren't for the fact that he was paying for his food. Narrowing his eyes at the driver, he leaned over to get a good look at the menu.

"Two number one sandwiches, the two burrito meal with hot sauce and a medium coffee, five and five. Also a cinnamelt and a parfait." Edd told the order taker with a loud voice.

"Jesus? Hungry much?" Eddy yelled as he nervously looked through his wallet to make sure he had enough cash. Double D slapped his good hand on the dashboard in exasperation.

"You try having your stomach ripped open Eddy! Yes! I am positively starving. I haven't eaten anything solid in five days so please forgive me!"

Eddy paused for a moment before shrugging and asking the woman if she got the whole order. When he started to pull away into the line. "I guess that's fair. So anyways about that brain bomb-"

"Shut up Eddy." Double D growled.

"Or what?"

...

The day dragged on slowly at school, and especially for Double D who spent the better part of the morning throwing up every meal he had ever eaten in his life, ever. He hadn't seen Kevin at all yet that day and it was starting to get to him. Was he ignoring him? Did Kevin plan on coming out at school? Or was it just going back to the way it was before Edd's accident with Jarad.

The ravenette sighed as his dry heaves subsided and leaned his back on the wall behind him. Why did things have to be so complicated? Just one more credit and Edd could walk out of the school with his diploma in hand and be free forever. Then he would have time to work while Kevin was in school so that he could get his own place and get the _hell_ away from Eddy. Sure, they were like brothers, but they could only remain in close proximity for certain periods of time. Otherwise there would be a fight, like today for example.

Double D wasn't going to get into the details, but the fight could have been called _Ticking Time Bomb my Ass: Watch What You Fucking Say._ Long story short is that Eddy now had a black eye and knew where Edd drew the line when it came to joking and personal issues.

Speaking of personal issues, it seems his mother was here to stay. She had informed him that today she was going to look for a place to live, apartment hunting of all things. Mother had also resigned from her position as Chief at her old job and applied to Peach Creek Memorial as a way to spend more time with her son. True, Edd wouldn't have minded if Mother simply disappeared again after her explanation. Sure, she _said_ that Father and herself had spent all these years toiling after a surgical technique or some magical drug to rid him of his tumor. The thought of his parents spending such a long time in search of a cure would sound heroic to anyone else but Edd.

The only way the growth in his brain affected him these days was when Double D had to remind himself about his pills everyday. True, if he took a tumble down a flight of stairs the tumor could start to bleed, giving the doctors a choice to split his brain apart which would most likely kill him, or wait for the bleeding to stop, which could take too long and kill him. But after over ten years of trial and error on a flurry of patients just cause someone to give up? Double D would have lived a much happier life if his parents had given up, came home, and spent as much time with him as they could before he kicked the bucket.

So the fact that his mother had just now realized this when he was about to graduate and start his own life away from Peach Creek irritated him to no end. So Mother meant well, but as far as he was concerned it was much too late to try to make amends. All he really wanted from her was to pay his college expenses and leave him the hell alone.

"Eddward? Are you alright in there?" the nurse asked from the other side of the door.

Edd jumped at the sound of her voice and stood up on shaking legs. "Yes, sorry about that." he said as he stepped out of the bathroom quickly.

"Oh, it's no worry Eddward. I'm just making sure that you're okay!" the older woman said happily and went back to her work.

Edd quickly signed out of the nurse's office and trudged out into the crowded hallway as fifth period had just been let out. He dodged through the crowd of students with perfect precision as only a senior in high school could. When he arrived at his locker, he discovered that his favorite red-head was waiting for him. "Kevin! What a nice surprise!" Edd greeted happily, the other teen just greeted him with a simple kiss to the forehead. The smaller teen broke out in a nervous sweat as they were in the middle of the hallway.

"Chill, 'D. Everything's fine. Promise." Kevin said lowly as he hunched over slightly to meet Edd's nervous gaze.

Double D looked up into Kevin's eyes to find a storm behind them."Are you alright?"

Kevin grimaced a little and shifted his troubled eyes away. "Um,"

"Spit it out Kevin." Double D demanded as he set his arms across his chest. The jock was surprised by his boyfriend's sudden change in attitude. He sighed roughly and rested a hand on top of his red cap.

"I wanna get away this weekend. We both need some down time and we could just bum in a hotel or somethin' and relax."

"Where is this coming from? Are you sure you're alright Dear?" Double D said as he eyed him suspiciously.

Kevin bit his bottom lip in thought. "I have a lot I need to get off my chest."

Double D slowly felt his heart sink to his gut as his eyes went wide. "O-okay, whatever you want-"

"Cool."

With that Kevin turned and walked away from the ravenette who was trying his damnedest not to crumble into a million insignificant pieces.


	16. Lay Me Down

It was only Tuesday when Kevin had turned Edd into a pile of self-doubt and insecurity. The other Eds tried to ease their friend's distress but had little to work with since Double D refused to let them in on his inner turmoil. Still, they stood by him through whatever he was going through. Even Ed made extra effort to understand his dear friend even though he didn't understand most things.

At the moment he sat in the recliner in Ed's room with his two closest friends as they watched some idiotic horror movie. Well, Ed and Eddy were. Double D's thoughts kept drifting elsewhere and unwanted thoughts kept planting themselves in his mind.

 _Too good to be true._

 _What a joke._

 _The team captain of every sport and the sad little basket case whose mommy and daddy left him all alone?_

 _He probably just felt bad!_

 _How could you be so ignorant?_

Edd ran a hand over his face and looked away from the TV. It was Thursday night at the moment and Edd was in emotional shambles. He _loved_ Kevin, and he was pretty sure Kevin loved him back. Sure, they never said those three magic words out loud, but that didn't matter did it? He wasn't actually sure at this point. Edd wasn't one to let the L-word slip so easily. His parents were absent most of his life and none of the meaningless relationships he had ever been in never made it that far. It was a rare thing for Edd to say the phrase aloud, 'I love you' has only left his lips a handful of times in the past ten years. God, he needed a break. He needed to get away from the drama, his friends who didn't understand, Kevin, everyone.

"Uh, I'm gonna call it a night. Sorry gentleman." Edd sighed as he stood up from the chair and cracked his sore back.

"S'okay Double D! We can hang out again when you're feelin' better!" Ed said, trying to sound supportive, but the twinge of sadness made Double D's heart twist. He felt like such a bad friend for lashing out like he had been lately. Edd hadn't been as patient with Ed as he should have been, and he gave Eddy that black eye. For a good reason, but nonetheless it still made Edd feel terrible at the end of the day.

Double D gave a halfhearted wave as he walked out of the door and out of the house. He didn't end up going to Eddy's like he originally planned, but completely bypassed the house entirely. As Edd passed Kevin's house, he noticed the jock was having a little get together with his friends. Edd didn't see who they were, as something clenched painfully within him and he just walked faster to escape the pain.

At the moment he was walking towards the hotel his mother was staying at until she had found a place of her own. Edd needed her car to get out of town. However, he thought that just showing up at her door unannounced would cause some awkward chat and that simply wasn't on his agenda for the night. So he flipped open his cell phone and quickly dialed his mother's number. She answered on the first ring.

 _"Eddward? Is everything alright?"_

"Hello Mother, and yes everything is fine. I actually just called to ask for a favor."

 _"Go on Dear."_

Edd paused for a millisecond as he thought of a lie. "I've just remembered a spot I've been wanted to take my telescope too and stargaze. I don't have a car so I haven't been able to do it yet. I just thought tonight would be good since the sky is so clear..." Edd mused as he continued to walk through the dark streets of Peach City.

 _"Of course Edd. That sounds like a very splendid idea. Will Kevin be joining you?"_

Edd grimaced into the phone. Why would Kevin join him? They've barely spoken two words to each other in two days. "No, I was thinking some peace and quiet would do me good. Don't you think?"

 _"The Vincents' do love peace and quiet. I'll have the keys ready for you when you arrive. My room number is 231."_

"Thank you Mother, I do appreciate it." Edd said happily and with a quick goodbye he hung up the phone.

...

Double D didn't really have a plan as to where he was going as he drove out of the city. However, he did find himself pulling onto a country road that had long plush grass growing on either side. Through the trees, he could hundreds of fireflies enjoying the night as he slowly passed. Eventually, he came up to a lake that was a common fishing spot. Edd parked the car along the cat tails that stuck out of the shallow water and just gazed at the sight before him.

It was a fairly large lake that was used for boating and fishing. The lake was surrounded by trees on three sides, but right in front of Edd was the best view he'd ever seen. In the distance there was a community of log cabins scattered on the side of a hill. Their windows were glowing a pale yellow that called to Edd in a comforting sort of way.

He sat on the hood of his mother's car and listened to the crickets as he stared up at the billions of stars before him. Although a strange sound started to rise above the crickets, it came from inside the car.

 **From Eddy: Where r u? I thot u were at my house.**

 **From Eddy: Do I need to send out a search party?**

 **From Eddy: I'm calling jockstrap on u.**

A nervous sweat broke through Edd's once serene demeanor as he was about to meet his inevitable doom through the hands of his unknowing friend. The text messages were each sent about a half hour apart from each other, so he couldn't blame Eddy for worrying about his usually punctual friend who would normally respond to a text in a matter of seconds.

Double D took one last look at the sleepy cabins before hopping off the hood of his mother's car with phone in hand. Slowly, he turned his car around to get himself back on the road he came from. If he never got out of Peach Creek, that was the place he needed to live. A cozy little cabin on the side of a hill that overlooked a crystal blue lake. Edd could just see himself sitting on his deck with his laptop and a nice cup of coffee as the cool summer breeze ran over his skin. It was a dream that needed to become a reality.

...

In an act of motherly concern, Christine decided to let Edd keep her car for the night as she would call a cab in the morning. Edd was grateful for this as it meant that he didn't have to wonder the dark streets of Peach City in fear of muggers or rapists.

It took about an hour and a half for Double D to pull into the cul-de-sac at nearly two in the morning. Slowly, he pulled into Eddy's driveway and shut off the car. Almost immediately, he was met with three of the craziest faces he had ever seen. Eddy, Ed, and Kevin. Double D so surprised by the three boys that he almost scrambled back into his temporary car and spend off to escape for another night.

Almost.


	17. Scared

After Double D left, Eddy tried to ignore the strange feeling that washed over him. He looked over and sensed that his lump of a best friend was feeling the same thing. "I'm worried Eddy. Is Double D gonna be alright?" Ed asked as he put a finger to his pouted bottom lip.

Eddy only shrugged and ran a hand though the long hair on top of his head in frustration. "Sure Big Guy. It's just gonna take some time okay? All we gotta do is be there for him."

"I can do that Eddy!" Ed said happily as he bounced in his spot a little. Eddy sat on the floor and pretended to watch the movie for a while longer before the strange feeling arose to the surface again. Something was wrong, he just wasn't sure what. What he did know was that Kevin and Double D have been oddly quiet to each other for the past couple days. It wasn't normal and he was pretty sure that it was wigging the little brainiac out.

Eddy stood up and brushed off the back of his dark jeans. "Aye Lumpy, let's go check on Double D." he said and the tallest of the Eds immediately bounced up and grabbed his coat from the back of a nearby chair. While Ed got ready to go, Eddy made sure he had his phone tucked away safely in his back pocket just in case.

The two boys soon emerged from Ed's house and made their way across the cul-de-sac to Eddy's. His parent's were still at work at this time of night, it was around ten-thirty. Eddy's mother Barb worked the graveyard shift as a security guard somewhere out of town and his father Sean worked at the mill. Usually he would see them everyday after he got off school and all three of them would always have dinner together. Well, it was the four of them now. Sean and Barb were happy to welcome Double D into their home, any friend of Eddy's was a friend of theirs.

So the two boys moseyed into Eddy's home slowly, the feeling had transformed itself to suspicion. All the lights were off and it was eerily quiet. "Double D?" Ed called out. There was no answer.

 **To DD: Where r u? I thot u were at my house.**

"Not funny Sockhead..." Eddy said as he flipped on the lights on in his empty room. "Sockhead? Ed, go look through the rest of the house." he ordered as he ran into the room and whipped open his closet and patio doors as fast as he could. Ed could be heard slamming doors into walls in other areas of the house as he looked for their missing friend.

"I can't find him Eddy!" Ed called out as he came running back to his short friend. Eddy took a calming breath and shot him a text real quick.

 **To DD:** **Do I need to send out a search party?**

"He's probably over at Kevin's. Duh!" Eddy said as the thought finally came to him, slapping his forehead lightly. "Let's go look."

The two Eds quickly jogged over to the jock's house and walked into the backyard where he was currently hanging out with his friends. "What's up Skipper?" Kevin greeted as he cracked open a soda. Eddy quickly glanced at everybody that was sitting around the small bonfire. There was Nazz, Rolf, and even a Jonny was there, but no Double D. Eddy and Ed craned their heads around the rest of the dark yard but found nothing. "Looking for somethin'?" Jonny asked as he poked the fire with a long stick.

"Uh, is Double D here?" Eddy asked, pointing a finger to the house as the suspicion turned into fear.

"No? Why?" Kevin asked, setting his drink down on the ground.

Ed threw his hands over his eyes. "He disappeared Eddy! Double D is gone forever!" he cried in anguish, the other Ed tried to comfort him quietly.

" _He's gone?!_ " Kevin yelled as he stood up from his lawn chair, Nazz and Rolf immediately copied the red-head. The jock immediately broke out into a panic as he threw on his jacket and shoes.

"Are you sure?" Nazz asked as she slipped into her glittery slip on shoes delicately.

"He said he was callin' it a night when we were watching movies, but I don't think he went back to my place...Me and Lumpy still need to look in the playground and the junkyard." Eddy said as he tugged his friend up off the ground and brushed the dirt off of him in a brotherly fashion. He then pulled out his cell and tried to call his missing friend. When there was no answer he shot him one more text.

 **To DD: I'm calling jockstrap on u.**

Two hours later it was only the three boys left looking for the third Ed. They stood on Eddy's front steps arguing on what to do next. "Well why can't we call the police again?" Kevin yelled angrily as he tried not to break the stupid flashlight in half.

Eddy rolled his eyes. "Because I already tried and they said they can't file a missing persons report until at least twenty-four hours has passed! I've literally told you this three times now! Jesus, you really do have a brick for a brain." the shortest Ed bellowed as he was frustrated with the situation. If it wasn't for the pair of headlights pointing straight at them Kevin would have knocked the dork flat on his ass with a single punch.

A silver car pulled up into the driveway slowly and when it was shut off a familiar beanie-clad teen emerged from the vehicle. The three teens immediately rushed up to him filled with mixed emotions. Ed was simply relieved to see his best buddy, but Ed and Kevin were in the middle of giving Double D a bone-crushing hug and beating him to a pulp for scaring the shit out of them by disappearing in the middle of the night.

"Double D!" Ed yelled and pulled him into his strong arms, proceeding to swing him around as if he weighed nothing. When Ed finally sat Double D down, it was Eddy's turn.

"What the _fuck_ Edd?!" he screamed at Double D, shoving the teen and accidentally knocking him down on his butt. Eddy looked down at his friend and found that his anger was quickly melting away. The teen looked terrible. The bags under his eyes were darker than normal, and it looked like he had been crying on the way over. His friend was already hurting (most likely it was something Kevin related) and he was definitely not helping the him or the situation at hand. "Shit, 'D-"

"I got it." Kevin said and gently scooped Edd up in his strong arms much to the protest of said teen. Double D was shaking a little from the sudden contact from Eddy _and_ Kevin. As much as he missed the way the tan, toned arms held him, this felt different. Maybe it was all in his head, but it didn't feel as comforting as it once had a week ago. "You guys can make up later, but I'm taking him to my house now. We needed to talk anyways." he said, shifting his green eyes to glance at Edd who immediately began to shrink into himself.

Something about the jock's tone made the other two Eds nod in agreement. This definitely had everything to do with their relationship and Eddy decided to let Kevin take the reigns on this one.

When Kevin arrived at his door he set Edd on his own two feet so he could let them in. Once the door was closed, Kevin quickly poked his head into the living room to check on his father who was currently passed out on the couch with a beer in hand. The two boys then quickly ran up the stairs led by Kevin who had a firm grip on Edd's wrist.

Once they were in Kevin's room the jock locked his door and sighed with his forehead resting on the door. Double D stood against the opposite wall and played with his fingers nervously. "K-Kevin?" he asked in a timid voice.

The red head turned around and stalked up to the thinner boy with an unreadable expression. His fists were clenched at his sides and Double D squeezed his eyes shut and prepared for the blow that was sure to come. What he got was completely different. Kevin engulfed him in a tight hug and started to shake just a little. "I was so worried about you Edd." he said, was Kevin crying. _Over him?!_

"I-I'm sorry." Edd began as he wrapped a hesitant pair of arms around the bigger teen. "I-it's just that you said you needed to talk and that gave me a bad feeling and then we hadn't spoken in a couple days a-and dammit. I was scared! All I wanted to do was leave and clear my head for a few hours. I didn't think anyone would notice." Edd said as he felt his own tears start to run down his face.

Kevin sniffed and pulled back to look Edd. "I needed to talk about my dad Edd! I wanted to tell you about all the shit that's been goin' on at home. And I know you've got a lot of stuff going on too, but I just need some goddamn support right now!"

Edd finally looked up at Kevin to see the usually bright and shiny green orbs were dull and had bags underneath them that rivaled his own. The ravenette quickly wiped away the fat tears that ran down his boyfriend's face. "Oh, Kevin..." he coed and led him over to the bed. Kevin settled his face into the crook of Edd's neck to try and muffle his sobs.

So Edd sat there and tried to comfort Kevin as best as he could until the red-head was ready to talk.


	18. The Favor

Author's Note:To be honest it's the reviews, favorites, and follows that keep me going. It's when I'm having a rough day at work and I look at my phone to see someone reviewed my story just makes it all a little better. Whether it's just a simple 'Update soon!' or an entire paragraph of someone's love for KevEdd, I can't help but smile. Reviews let me know I'm doing a good job and my work is appreciated, so I can keep toiling away for you guys!

Also, a thanks to dshell99 for fueling the feels to this fire and giving me confidence in myself!

* * *

Kevin sat at the other end of the bed as he hugged his knees and tried not to completely lose it again. Edd sat cross legged across from Kevin as he let the new information swirl around in his head.

 _Dad_ _had a knife a couple days ago._

"Oh dear..." Edd mumbled with a hand over his mouth, his eyes were wide as he looked at his boyfriend in a new light. This man who had stolen his heart and been so kind to him all these months was fighting his own battle at home. Of course he had mentioned to Edd the bit about having beer bottles smashed on his head, but Kevin refused to tell him anything more. He said that there wasn't anything else to say about his past about his father. Ma left, dad started drinking, there were some fights, a beer bottle over the head, and that was it. His lips were sealed up until now.

"Has he done anything since?" Edd asked as he scooted closer to his guy and rested his small hands on Kevin's broad shoulders.

Kevin shook his head and looked up at his love. "No, it's weird. I've barely seen him since it happened. He just got in his truck and left afterwards."

"And how many days ago was this?" Edd asked tentatively. Kevin merely shrugged and ran a hand roughly through his red hair.

"Uh, it happened on Monday night." the jock said in a shaky voice and put his head back down in his knees. It killed Edd to see his normally tough and happy man in such a state. It finally clicked with him that this must have been Eddy and Kevin felt all those months ago. It hurt.

Edd pushed Kevin's knees down to bed as he pulled him into a tight hug. "Kevin, I'm always here for you. Through whatever, forever. Okay? I'm not leaving."

Kevin wrapped his arms around Edd's middle and squeezed him back just as tight. "I know, it's just- this is a lot right now and I know you've got your own problems-"

Edd cut Kevin off with a sweet kiss to the lips. "Kev, you've been by my side through everything. My parents leaving, the bullies, my surgeries, and-" Edd couldn't fight the chuckle that bubbled out of his throat at how absurd this whole thing was. "You even stayed with me when you had to find out through my _mother_ that I have an inoperable brain tumor. God, if that's not love and devotion I don't know what is. I would be a fool to leave someone as amazing as you over this."

Kevin looked at Edd through tear filled eyes as he finished his little speech. "...Really?"

Edd's ocean blue eyes sparkled as he gazed at him. "Storms pass Kevin, right now we're just in the middle of one."

Kevin half-sobbed, half-chuckled at his choice of words. They were the very same he had spoke to Edd while he was in the hospital not that long ago. Quickly he wiped the fresh tears away and pulled his love into a passionate kiss. "I love you Edd. God, I love you so much."

Edd's heart practically jumped for joy as his boyfriend confessed his love to him. All those years and the handful of times the L-word was dropped into his life would never compare to the amount of affection he felt for this boy. He always thought he would feel pressured to say it, but Edd was so ready for this. He was ready to love Kevin. The ravenette deepened the kiss as he pulled the red-head back onto the bed. "And I love you so much more."

The two teens basked in their newly founded love. Kevin pinned Edd to the bed and ravished him with kisses and even a few purplish bruises sat perfectly on his boyfriend's throat. He even managed to slip the old beanie off of Edd's head and truly look at his boyfriend, scars and all. "You're so beautiful." Kevin whispered as their noses brushed together, causing a sweet giggle from Edd. In the heat of their romance, neither of them head the front door slam, nor the heavy footsteps that made their way upstairs.

" _Kevin!_ " a deep voice roared from outside the door. The two teens halted immediately as they were frozen with fear. The doorknob jiggled loudly as Kevin's father tried to enter the room, but Kevin had locked the door hours ago. "Kevin open the goddamn door!" his voice slurred as the door physically bowed as the man rammed his body into it.

Both of the boys were shaking. Edd looked at his love with wide eyes as neither of them could think of a mutually safe way out of this. Suddenly, Kevin grabbed his boyfriend and practically threw him into his closet. "Be quiet." he ordered and shut the door in his face.

Edd's knees trembled as he looked through the slats of the closet door. He saw Kevin try to calm his nerves before he put on his tough front and opened the door for his father.

"What's up?" Kevin asked, the fear in his voice barely noticeable. Edd felt a pang of terror shoot down his spine, Kevin's dad towered over him. His face was red and his eyes were bleary and unfocused as he swayed in the doorway.

"Don't fuckin' play dumb with me." the older man slurred as he stepped into the room and forced Kevin out of the way. "I _know_ you were talkin' to someone. Fuckin' giggling and shit." he spat and shoved Kevin roughly on his bed as he walked by.

Kevin's eyes glanced at the closet briefly before looking back at his father who was stalking around the room at a slow pace. Edd's heart was practically in his throat as the beast of a man passed the closet for a second time.

"No one's here Dad, I was just talkin' to Nazz on the phone." Kevin lied smoothly and clasped his hands together in his lap as he looked up at his drunk parent.

"Don't _lie_ to me! I know you've been hangin' around some little fag at school. I heard this shit at work. You know what the guys are sayin' 'bout me now?!" he bellowed and put his fist through the wall next to the closet door.

Edd gasped as a fist suddenly appeared next to his head and he stumbled back none to gracefully.

Everything went dead silent as Edd braced himself against the back of the closet wall. Then faster than he would have thought was humanly possible, a large fist gripped the front of Edd's shirt and ripped him from the closet.

"Is this what you've been hiding from me?!" the man bellowed as he held Double D high above the ground. Kevin stood up immediately with his hands out in front on him in a calming gesture.

"Let him go! Please!" Kevin yelled as he tried to reason with the man. "I'm begging you!"

The man scoffed as he shook Edd around a little, causing a yelp from the boy. "This _thing_? Sure, I'll set him down real nicely." he said with venom in his voice.

Kevin's dad then gave him a swift punch to the face and let him drop. Edd landed on the ground with a heavy thud as the punch made him see stars. " _Edd!_ " Kevin screamed as he scrambled towards his love. Just as he was about to reach him, his dad gave Kevin a swift punch in the gut that sent him tumbling backwards. "Fuck!" he cursed.

When Edd finally regained his bearings, he saw the large man stalking over to his son like a lion would to its prey. It was now or never, the little genius had to do something. Edd stood on shaking legs and scrambled out of the room as fast as he could before he heard the sickening sound of fist to flesh and his boyfriend's screams.

Kevin watched in horror as his boyfriend fled from the scene. He couldn't have just left, _could he?_ Dad landed another blow to his face as he gripped the front of his jersey tightly. "S-stop Dad, please!" Kevin cried as his own father continued to wail on him.

"This is all your fault! Laura left because of you! She left me with a poor excuse for a son!" his father cried actual tears and his punches softened just the tiniest bit.

By this point Kevin was beaten and bloody. His nose gushed like an open faucet and his face was swollen on the right side. Kevin opened his black eyes as wide as he could to stare at the broken man before him. He was no longer his father, this man was a stranger that wanted to use Kevin as nothing more than a punching bag for his regrets. Kevin was surprised it took him so many years to realize this. Kevin's hands began to slip from their grip on the man's wrists as he prepared for what he thought would be the final blow.

Suddenly his father jerked and his eyes rolled back into his head as he hit the floor heavily. Kevin slumped back against his bed frame as he was finally released and looked up at the sight before him.

Eddward Vincent stood tall behind the man's limp form. His jet black hair was wild and hung in straight locks in his face as he still clenched the metal crowbar in his hand. Edd had a bloody nose and a nasty black eye but it did nothing to his beauty. At the moment, he was Kevin's love. _His savior._

"Kevin, babe are you alright?" Double D asked ask he threw the crowbar on the floor and gathered Kevin's beaten face in his small hands. Word's caught in his throat so he just merely nodded. Edd placed a delicate kiss on Kevin's forehead and helped him up off the floor. "Hurry, before he comes to."

Edd supported Kevin as they stumbled out of the house and over to his mother's car that was still parked in Eddy's driveway. "Where're we goin'?" Kevin slurred as he practically fell into the car. Edd ran around the vehicle as fast as could, he was itching to leave the cul-de-sac and get the two of them to a safer place.

"How're you feeling Kevin?" Double D asked as he backed out and quickly sped out of the neighborhood.

Kevin's head lulled around as he leaned back. "Froggy..."

"You mean foggy?" Edd asked as they drove towards the city. "Oh dear, you probably have a concussion..." he mused as he merged onto the highway.

Kevin fumbled a little bit but eventually found one of the geniuses hands. "Thanks Edd, I'm glad you're in my life." he said, voice still tainted with drowsiness.

"I told you before, I'm here to stay. Get used to it." Edd said as he gladly held his boyfriend's hand for a moment before turning his attention fully to the road before them.

Eventually the two boys reached their destination. By this time it was in the early hours of the morning and Edd managed to catch a glimpse of his mother as she walked towards her cab. Edd helped his love out of the car and waved her down. "Mother! Mother!"

The woman snapped her head up in her son's direction and dismissed the cab as the ran as fast as she could in her high heels. "Eddward! Kevin! What in God's name happened to you boys?!" she yelled, placing a hand on each of their cheeks out of worry.

"I'll explain everything on the way to the hospital. Just _please_ take care of him Mother." Edd practically begged. Christine didn't need to be told twice as she immediately hopped in the driver's seat as the two boys climbed in the back.

"And Mother?"

Christine glanced at her beaten boys in the backseat. "Yes Dear?"

"I've figured out how to fix our relationship." Edd said as Kevin lay lazily in the crook of Edd's neck, fighting the urge to sleep.

Christine's eyes sparkled at her son's words. Now was her chance. "Anything you need Eddward. I'm your woman."

"I've saved up some money, but I need your help buying something." Edd continued.

"What are you thinking?"

"I want you to help me buy a house."

Christine nearly choked on her morning coffee at her son's wish, But this is what Edd wanted and she was desperate to get her son's love back, even if it meant she had to buy it. "I'll see what I can do for you two."


	19. Love Yourself

When Kevin awoke the next day he found himself sitting in a hospital room that looked like it needed a reservation. The curtains and the blanket he was covered with was some silky maroon fabric that he never pictured in a hospital. However they were better than the itchy white sheets everyone else got so Kevin didn't complain. There was also a flat-screen TV just beyond the end of the bed that was nestled inside a modern looking cabinet made of oak. "Very fancy indeed." Kevin mumbled to himself as he continued to gaze around the room.

The door opened a few minutes later and Edd's mother walked into the room, she smiled as she saw that Kevin was awake. "Evening Kevin, how are you feeling?" she asked and grabbed a chair, settling next to the bed with her clipboard.

Kevin shrugged. "I'm fine. What happened?"

Christine paused at Kevin's question. "Do you not remember? That does tend to happen with concussions..." she mused as she scribbled quickly on her clipboard.

"No, I remember bits and pieces of what happened. I just don't know how I got _here._ Where's Edd?" Kevin asked as he began to fidget nervously. "Is he okay?"

Christine put a comforting hand on the teens shoulder and smiled a little. "Our baby's a little bruised, but he's fine. And so are you if you're wondering. Just a mild concussion and some bruised skin, other than that you're all good."

"Thank God," Kevin sighed as he sunk back into his bed heavily. Christine chuckled and stood up.

"I'll go get him for you." she said and her lab coat flared gracefully as his boyfriend's mom stepped outside the door. A few minutes later his favorite man walked into the room and took his breath away. Edd was wearing a long sleeved charcoal grey V-neck with a pair of fitted jeans along with his old pair of blue sneakers. Edd's usual hat seemed to be tossed haphazardly onto his head as inky locks fell freely onto his forehead, the beginning of his scar was just visible.

As Kevin eyed the teen's hair, they eventually found his black eyes and swollen nose. "Hello lovely." Edd greeted with a tired grin and swooped in to give the red-head a searing, yet gentle kiss.

"Christine said you were bruised, she sure as hell wasn't joking. Is it broken?" Kevin chuckled nervously as he gazed at his boyfriend's nose.

Edd waved it off before lowering his eyes to the floor. "It's nothing, really! I'm just glad you're alright after what that man did to you. But no, Mother said it was just a little fracture."

"Right," Kevin said with pursed lips. Edd simply raised an eyebrow in question. "Could you just fill me in on what happened?"

Edd paused for a moment and stared at his man. "...You don't remember?"

"I remember bits but your ma said I had a concussion so I might not remember everything."

"Right," Edd mused as he placed a finger to his perfect lips. "I suspected that when I was driving...what's the last thing you can remember?"

"Well I remember pieces like us sitting on my bed talking, shoving you in a closet, you standing over my dad with something, and stumbling out to the car."

"That's it?"

"That's it. Maybe the rest will come back to me later." Kevin said with a sad smile. It truly was a miracle that the teen escaped with only a mild concussion and not something more serious. His face looks like he took on a gang of thugs instead of just one person.

Edd suddenly wondered if he remembered their important conversation. _Did Kevin even remember saying that he loved him?_ Edd decided to ignore the thought for the moment.

After explaining from the point Kevin's father walked into the room to Kevin ending up in the hospital, Double D was yawning heavily. "And now we're here."

Kevin reclined in his bed as the information nestled itself into his brain. "What happened to him?" he asked quietly.

Edd slumped back in his chair and pulled his beanie back to its place over his eyebrows. "I've been talking to the police since yesterday. Of course he's being held in the county jail for now, but everyone's been questioned that had a part in this. They still need to talk to you before anything definite happens, but this case is a no-brainer."

"I see, that's good. Who called them?"

"I did. I called them as soon as you were taken in for a CT, and then I drove back to Peach Creek to meet with some officers to collect your father. I was surprised the man was still unconscious when we arrived."

"You went back? Why'd you have to do that?" Kevin asked in a worried tone as he laced his fingers with Edd's.

"They said I just needed to be there so I could provide confirmation. Their rules are strange if I do say so myself." Edd said as he gazed at Kevin through hooded eyes. He giggled and leaned in for a kiss to which Edd happily accepted. "I love you, Kevin."

The red-head pulled back in surprise. "You do?"

Edd froze at his boyfriend's words. "Ah, y-yes. I do." he said. Edd would have spoken up about his hurt feelings, but he knew it was out of Kevin's control. Plus Kevin's hurt feelings would only make him feel worse about the situation.

"I love you too." Kevin said sweetly and pulled him into another heated kiss. Edd tried to fight his sinking heart. "And Edd?"

"Yes Kevin?"

"I'm just kiddin', I remember. How could I forget loving someone like you?" Kevin said with a chuckle, Double D just pulled his old hat over his eyes.

Edd groaned. "You're such a jerk."

Kevin merely shrugged. "Only sometimes. But we're in love so you can deal."

There was a knock at the door and Christine popped her head in. "Hello boys, can I borrow you for a moment Eddward?"

"Yes, Mother. Kevin I shall return soon." Edd said with a squeeze of his hand and walked out of the room When he closed the door behind him, he saw his mother organizing a large stack of papers she had just pulled out of her messenger bag.

"This stack is all houses that are for sale and this stack is apartments. I know you said that you wanted a house but then I started thinking about college and- oh I don't know. I suppose this is up to you in the end."

Edd was surprised. "Are you seriously considering purchasing a house for me, Mother?"

Christine slapped the stacks of papers on a nearby cart and stared at her son like he had just asked the stupidest question ever. "Of course I am. I do have some serious making up do you after all those years I spent at work instead of with you. Besides, I refuse to bring Kevin back to that house. What if something happens again? He deserves to be in a safe and loving environment that I am _certain_ he will find with you. He's a nice young man, and you love him, which means I love him."

It was in that moment that Edd pulled his mother into the tightest hug he'd ever given. Christine was frozen for a moment before she returned the hug fully. "Thank you so much. You have absolutely no idea what your words or your generosity means to me Mother."

"I'm here for you now Eddward. Mother's are meant to spoil their children! Even though I am a couple years tardy in that department, better late than never!" she joked and Edd chuckled a little into her shoulder as he squeezed her one last time before letting go and discussing different houses.

* * *

Author's Note: I know it's short, I've been feeling down today and I needed to get this out before I procrastinated any longer.

Please read and review! And any little fun prompts would be a lot of fun to write in the upcoming chapters!


	20. Pumpkin

Author's Note: Happy birthday to me yesterday! Moscato is the best present that anyone an give everyone ever. Cheers!

* * *

Kevin was discharged the next day. Edd stood behind his wheelchair and lightly massaged his shoulders as Christine took care of the paperwork at a nearby nurse's station. "How're you feeling Dear?" Edd asked as he continued to absently massage the tense muscle.

"I'm good 'D. Are you taking me home or what?" Kevin said as he twisted around to look at his boyfriend who narrowed his wide eyes at him.

"Do you _want_ to go home?" he asked.

Kevin grimaced and looked away. "Not really."

"Good! Because you're already staying with Mother and myself." Edd said cheerily as he pushed Kevin out of the hospital doors after Christine.

"We're staying with your ma?" Kevin asked, trying not to let the disappointment leak into his voice. At the moment he just needed some alone time with his love. Not that he was ungrateful or anything, Kevin was indeed entirely grateful for Edd's mother's generosity. Kevin would rather sleep under a bridge in the dead of winter than go back to that house. Kevin knew that even if his father went to jail, the man would still know where he was at and it scared him.

"Well not technically. She already has her own room at the hotel we're staying at temporarily, so naturally we will too." Edd explained, and then bent down to whisper in Kevin's ear. "And our rooms are nowhere near each other so she won't be able to hear."

Kevin immediately whipped his head around. " _Hear what?!_ "

"Nothing." Edd replied with an annoyingly straight face. Kevin started to protest but Edd shook his head and pointed to the car Christine had just gotten into. "Let me help you in, _Pumpkin._ "

Kevin's whole body shivered and his mind went blank, well blank- _er_ than normal. This kid was gonna be the death of him.

"Are you well Kevin?" Edd said, snapping Kevin out of his daze. The jock looked at the slender hand that was being offered to him and then looked up to see the sparkle in those blue eyes he loved so much.

"I-I'm fine, thanks." Kevin stuttered and let Edd help him into the car. The ravenette let out a deep chuckle and shut the door firmly once he was inside.

The ride to the hotel was agony for Kevin. Edd was up to something and he could smell it. Even Christine wore the same small smirk as her son, he could see it in the rear view mirror. Everytime Kevin tried to question the man he would shove a finger in his face as he continued to give his phone a good stare down.

"Dr. V there's something wrong with your son." Kevin said abruptly, his face displaying concern for his boyfriend.

"Kevin, please call me Christine or Mom. Only the interns call me 'Dr.V'." Christine said, not even meeting his gaze through the rear view mirror.

"Okay, _Mom_. I think your son is dying- or at least having some sort of break down."

Christine merely nodded in amusement as she finally looked at the red-head in the back seat. His swelling had gone down and his strong jawline was starting to come back full force. It was easy to see why her son fell for the boy, he was handsome! Plus, she knew exactly how their chemistry worked. They were the complete opposites of each other, personalities and appearances contrasted but were so matched.

When the trio arrived at the motel, Kevin realized something. "I don't have any extra clothes with me."

"Don't worry about that." Edd said as his mother popped the trunk for him and hefted a familiar looking duffle bag over his shoulder. "I took care of it."

Kevin stared at the cocky man before him. "Who are you and what have you done with my rambling, adorable mess of a boyfriend."

Edd cocked an eyebrow and gave Kevin a flirtatious look. "Oh, nothing."

God, Kevin just wanted to scream. "What the hell are you planning Vincent?"

"Me? Nothing. I'm just a little excited is all." Edd said and began to walk after his mother for the second time that day.

Kevin quickly followed after him. "Excited about what?"

"Don't worry about it."

...

By the time the two boys had parted with Christine, Kevin was oozing with frustration. Edd had been playing with him all day and it was driving him insane. He would whisper things in his ear that would make the boy's ears as red as his hair, the way he would eye him, and even now. He and Edd were merely standing in the elevator in silence as they waited for their floor. Edd had his weight set on one hip and it made his ass just _pop._

"Like what you see, Pumpkin?" Edd asked smoothly as he caught Kevin staring at him behind.

Kevin's mouth went dry at the sound of his new nickname. What had gotten into his nerdy little boyfriend? "I do."

Double D smirked and stepped out of the open elevator with Kevin trailing closely behind. When the two boys entered the room, Edd locked the door and then set down the duffle bag in their closet.

"Okay man. You gotta tell me what's goin' on cause-" Kevin started to speak but was cut off by a gentle kiss from his love.

"I said don't worry about it. I'm just excited." Edd said before moving in for a more passionate kiss. Kevin immediately gave in and held the boy tightly in his arms.

"About what?" Kevin asked against the smooth skin of Edd's neck where he was in the process of marking what was his

Edd gasped as he hit a sensitive spot on his neck. "It's a surprise. But, I'll give you another gift to hold you off until then."

"Oh yeah?" Kevin asked as he slipped a hand under Edd's shirt and grazed his fingers over one of his hip bones. Suddenly Edd broke away from the embrace and gently pushed Kevin back onto the bed. Kevin let out a nervous laugh. "I just got outta the hospital 'D. Gotta give me some time to heal."

" _I'm_ going to take care of you." Edd said and began to crawl his way onto the bed over Kevin, who began to sweat nervously. He'd never done any of this with another guy before, this was all completely new territory for Kevin and it made him incredibly nervous. Edd seemed to see this and kissed the tip of his nose before lacing their hands together. "It's clear that you've been hurting lately, through your whole ordeal that landed you in the hospital. I'm just trying to take a little off of your mind, if only for a little while. I love you. So just lay down and allow me to do all the work."

"I love you too, I love you so much." Kevin panted as Edd landed on one of his nipples and began to toy with the other one between his long fingers.

"Oh yeah?" Double D asked with a smirk as his tongue made delicious groans rise from the jock's throat. Edd switched over to the other side and let his tongue swirl around the bud.

" _Say it._ " Kevin demanded as he slid Edd's hat off in order to grip his silky locks. Double D raised an eyebrow but continued his assault. "Say my name. The other one."

Edd worked a trail of hickeys down his chest unto his naval. "What? _Pumpkin?_ " Edd said as he added a sexual type of whine into his voice, egging his boyfriend on.

" _Yes._ " Kevin groaned as his hands fastened themselves into Edd's hair, which caused a moan in response. Edd had to admit, that Kevin getting turned on by the little petname was also a turn on for him as well.

When Edd reached for the button to his pants, he left one hand secured to the garment and stretched up to place a loving kiss on the underside of Kevin's strong jaw. "You ready?"

"Fuck yes."


	21. The Plan

Author's Note: I'm glad you all think I'm such a tease, because I totally am. And a thank you to all those lovely reviews I received! They truly do brighten my day!

 **Also this chapter is RATED M FOR MOSCATO! AND ALSO MATURE CONTENT.**

 **BUT MOSTLY MOSCATO.**

* * *

 _"Fuck yes."_

Kevin let his body melt into the mattress as Edd worked his magic on him. Every love bite Edd had laid on him pulsed in time with the feverish kisses the said boy was laying onto his hips. Their fingers were still laced as a sense of reassurance to Kevin that everything was going to be alright, even if just for the moment. The rest will come later.

Edd's other hand was massaging a sensitive point near Kevin's hip bone that had the red head clamping a hand over his mouth to muffle his loud moans. God forbid some angry neighbor came pounding on their door and embarrass the crap out of them.

The ravenette undid the button to the jeans that were already hanging dangerously low on Kevin's hips. Fingertips dipped under the fabric of Kevin's boxers as both they and the jeans were being pulled down at a painstakingly slow pace. "Edd..." the red-head whined anxiously, only to be shushed with a nip to the skin. Edd was _very_ close to his target at this point and it was turning Kevin into a squirming pile of goo.

Finally, Kevin's boxers and jeans were reduced to a pile on the floor and Edd eyed the beast before him. To say Kevin was impressive would be an enormous understatement. The man was _blessed._ For a moment Edd doubted his gag reflex but put it aside as his darkened eyes flicked up to his love and saw him on the absolute edge. "Have you ever been involved like this before, Mr. Barr?" Edd asked in a gravely voice.

Kevin moved his hand away from his mouth to respond to the very confusing question. "Y-yes? Only ever with girls though..."

Double D smirked at his boyfriend's words. "How many?"

Kevin paused before cracking an eye open. "Edd, I-"

Edd's hands tightened on Kevin's hips, causing the boy to shudder in pleasure. "Answer the question Pumpkin."

Kevin gulped as he feared Edd's reaction to his answer. He was one of the most popular guys in school and girls were constantly trying to get a piece of perfect ass that was Kevin Barr. Only a few times did he give into the advances and bring one of the lucky ladies home with him after some random party. Even _if_ it was to chase away the constant feelings of loneliness brought unto him by his parents. "F-four."

Edd was silent for a moment as he rolled the number around in his head. "Very well then. Allow me to reset the bar." Edd said with a sort of finality that made Kevin shiver. Then, he felt the tip of Edd's tongue trace the very tip of him which sent one of Kevin's hands into Edd's hair and the other one fisted into his own.

A dark chuckle was heard from Edd at his boyfriend's reactions and then took him in wholly. Kevin forgot to cover his mouth back up as his hands were grasping for something steady to hold onto and let out a mighty growl. "God...!" the jock drawled out loudly as Edd continued to take him on. First at a slow pace; both Edd's teeth and tongue were doing things to his body that none of those other girls could ever do. He was certain in his muddled mind that it was the love they both harbored for one another that really put the cherry on top. "Oh, Edd..."

Edd merely 'hmm-ed' as he continued his same agonizingly slow pace. He was such a tease! Everything he did, Edd made sure he did it slow enough so that he could gauge every little reaction out of the jock.

He noticed how when he kissed Kevin's belly how the corners of his mouth would pull up into the tiniest smile, or how Kevin constantly held his hand over his mouth so silence himself because _he was loud._ Very, very loud. Edd would be relieved after both Mother and himself agreed on a nice house for the two lovers to live in. That would be the place where he could let loose and scream to the heavens to beg for mercy.

Edd then picked up the pace to send his boyfriend over the edge. He _loved_ the way his name sounded through Kevin's muffled moans of ecstasy. Every time Kevin hit the back of Edd's throat he would try not to buck his hips, but it became increasingly harder as he neared his end. "E-Edd, I'm gonna-"

Kevin never finished his sentence as Edd dragged his nails down from the small of his back to his ass, surely leaving long red welts in their wake. Edd rode out Kevin's orgasm dutifully and put his gag reflex to the test as he swallowed his seed. The red-head went from a twitching, gasping mess to a true pile of goop in a matter of seconds.

Double D slowly pulled his mouth off of Kevin and wiped his mouth. The jock raised a lazy finger in the air and panted. "The bar...has been raised."

...

After a much needed shower and a thorough teeth brushing, the two teens lay in each other's arms watching TV. Edd's head was resting on Kevin's strong chest with a finger tracing tiny circles into the muscle. The ravenette's mind wondered to the sleepy little cabins on the hill that overlooked that one lake and his finger came to a stop. That was where he wanted to go, but it was a good hour away and neither of them had a real car. Sure, Kevin had his motorcycle, but they'd be fresh out of luck by the time winter rolled around. Edd began to think that a small apartment would be better for the two of them.

"What's on your mind 'D?" Kevin asked as he placed a loving kiss on the smaller teen's head.

Edd shrugged. "Nothing, I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

Edd briefly thought about giving in and telling Kevin, but ultimately decided to keep it a secret until whatever place he chose was locked down and ready to move in to. He wanted to completely blow his boyfriend away when the time comes. "Food, I'm rather hungry after what we did earlier."

Kevin snorted and threw an arm behind his head. "I thought you ate enough earlier."

Without missing a beat, Edd retorted. "I have a very large appetite Pumpkin. I always come back for seconds." he said and climbed out of bed to retrieve his pajamas and Kevin's mouth went dry for the tenth time that day.

"You're awfully cocky today." Kevin said as he watched Edd gather his items and step into the bathroom to change.

"I could say the same about you!" Edd snickered and a shirt was tossed out of the room and into a hamper.

"That's besides the point, and c'mon! You should be able to change around me. After all you've seen me naked, it's time to return the favor."

Edd giggled and stepped out of the room wearing only a pair of black sweatpants that hand very low on his slim hips. "You've only just gotten out of the hospital Dear, give yourself time to heal." he said, mocking him from earlier. Kevin jumped up from the bed and dipped Edd in a passionate kiss.

"I'll be counting down the days." the red-head said sweetly into the crook of Edd's neck.

"Until what?" Edd giggled.

"'Till I can finally show you how much I love you."

Double D nodded and placed a kiss on Kevin's jaw as he thought of that cabin that he wanted to badly. "I too, have a similar plan."


	22. The Return

Author's Note: No moscato tonight, my eyes are hurtin' something fierce.

Also please excuse any errors regarding law in this story. I haven't had the time to go to law school yet today and the browser was not cooperating with me.

I always try to update every night before I allow myself to pass out because when I wake up and my phone is blinking- I know someone looked at my story and it's the best feeling in the world. You guys make me feel important.

* * *

Eventually Edd had to return to school after taking so many days for personal leave. Kevin was to either stay in his hotel room or the mother-son duo as both weren't taking any chances with Kevin's safety. Needless to say the red-head wasn't too happy about this, but obliged anyways to please the only two people in his life that seemed to genuinely care about him.

Kevin ended up making an appearance in a small courtroom to testify against his once beloved father. Of course Christine and Edd were right in the room for support when he needed it. Kevin's dad sat hunched over in his chair with a pair of handcuffs on the entire process, never once did he spare a glance at his hurting son. Maybe he was regretful, or maybe he was embarrassed that it had escalated to this point. It didn't matter how he felt however, he was sentenced to five years in prison for child abuse and battery charges. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the verdict was read aloud. _Guilty._

Now they were all back to the present and Double D was standing in the doorway looking at Kevin who was thrown on their bed dramatically. "Kevin..." Edd sighed.

"I have to stay here all day by myself with nothing to do!" the red-head whined. Double D set down his messenger bag and walked over to his distraught boyfriend.

"Kev, Darling, Mother will be taking you out in a few hours after she finishes her shift."

Kevin lifted his head off of the bed a little and arched an eyebrow. "What? Why?"

Edd shrugged. "She wants to spend some quality time with you."

Kevin adjusted himself on the bed so that he was leaning back on his elbows. "Alright. How're you guys anyways? It looks like she's making an honest effort to get back to you."

"I think so too, I've already forgiven her." Edd admitted as he adjusted his spare beanie on his head, pulling it just above his eyebrows. The original legendary beanie still resided somewhere over at Kevin's house.

"Really? That's awesome 'D. And I gotta admit that it's kinda hard to hate her when she's been so goddamn good to us. She kind of reminds me of Ma."

Edd smiled kindly as he took a seat next to his boyfriend. "Well you did call her 'mom' after she requested that you either call her that or 'Christine'."

"That's true. I do, but she'll never be my Ma."

"I understand...Kevin?"

The red-head eyed his love though sparkling green orbs. "Yes Dear?"

"Do you have anything else you want me to get for you at your house? I can always stop by after school and pick up whatever you need."

Kevin thought for a moment. "No, I don't think...so..." he trailed off as his face paled a considerable amount. "Oh my _God!_ Oh God I can't believe I forgot about her!"

" _Her?!_ " Edd nearly shrieked as he began to get caught up in Kevin's rising hysteria.

"My baby!" he bellowed and threw a pair of large hands over his face in shame.

Edd glanced up at the ceiling and prayed to whatever was listening to give his boyfriend the strength to make it through the day and still be sane. "Oh Lord," he sighed and ran a hand over his face.

"Don't do me like that Eddward. You _know_ how precious that bike is to me." Kevin said with a warning finger pointed in his direction. Edd held his hands up in defense and leaned in for a quick goodbye kiss.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it." he said as he finally let the red-head's lips go free. Kevin got nervous at the thought of another soul driving his pride and joy.

"What?! N-no, Edd-"

By this point Edd was halfway out the door with a smirk. "I'll return soon. Love you Pumpkin." he said with a wink and the door shut with a firm click. Kevin sat there for a moment before scrubbing his hands over his face in aggravation.

...

Marie was waiting for Edd by his locker that morning after a short text stating that he would be present that day. The ravenette looked better than ever when we walked through the heavy set of doors and a few girls turned around to take in the sight that was Eddward Vincent.

Edd had gained back all the weight he had lost after his surgery a month prior along with some muscle as Kevin, Eddy, Marie, and himself all worked out together when they had the chance. Edd wore a pair of fitted dark blue jeans along with a snug black v-neck with his leather jacket over top. His jaw was nicely defined as he let a little smirk work his way onto his features at the girls who stared at him knowingly.

The ravenette walked over to his blue-haired friend with a smile that would have reduced a certain boyfriend to jelly. "Greetings Marie."

The girl wrinkled her nose at him and hooked her arm in the crook of his elbow. "I hope you know I had a lot of asses to cover when you _and_ Kevin disappeared. Especially mine, so if anyone asks you were invited to a meeting for some scholarship out of state and Kevin had a family emergency. All the cul-de-sac kids are in on it and we've rehearsed. Also, we're still having our affair so put your game face on."

Edd nodded as he absorbed all the new information. "Right, but no one else knows about me and...? And how is Nazz? Have you progressed at all?"

"Absolutely not, and yes."

"Talk." Edd demanded as he dug out the right books for his first class. Marie sighed and leaned her back on one of the neighboring lockers.

"Well, Nazz came to me right after Kev came out to the gang and asked me questions and then we've just been...talking ever since."

"Is that all?" Edd asked, unimpressed.

Marie shook her head. "No, uh. She said I was cute and a really good friend for sticking by both you and Kev."

" _Friend?_ " Edd said in a harsh whisper as he shut his locker firmly. Marie nodded with pursed lips.

"Super straight. Nazz's boyfriend lives in Waterton. Eight months strong."

Edd shoved his books in his bag and then wrapped an arm around her neck out of fondness. "At least she thinks you're cute." he tried to offer, Marie merely put her head on his shoulder.

Edd knew that Marie needed someone and it was gonna be him. "Listen. I have to go to Kevin's house and get some things for him and then we can all go back to the hotel and have some fun. Sound good?"

"Wait, wait- hold up. Hotel? Listen, I'm not into three-ways let alone men-"

Edd clamped a hand over her yammering mouth in mock annoyance and embarrassment. "No, no. Shut your filthy mouth and listen to me. We're staying at a hotel courtesy of my mother because we have no where else to go."

"What? What happened? I thought Kev lived with his dad?" Marie asked in a hurried but hushed voice as they walked to their first class.

"He did."

"Well? Aren't you gonna tell me what happened?"

Edd shook his head. "No. It was a very serious issue and is not to be discussed. My face is a perfect example why." he said and waved a thin finger to the healing bruises under his eyes and on his perfectly upturned nose. Marie's eyes boggled a little at his face but she said nothing more. The girl truly was a good friend. She knew when to draw the line when it came to Edd and no one appreciated that more than him.

When he was in the presence of Eddy, Ed, Marie, or Kevin, Edd would remain his carefree self he once was as a child. Fascinated by insects and grammar would always be key. However when he was in public like he was at the moment he would turn into a 'stoic-type-badass' as Marie dubbed him. No smiles, only smirks. Edd was cold and calculating everyone's every move after his altercation with Jarad Forb. No one was ever to hurt him like that again.

"Although I will let you in on a little secret. My mother is going to purchase a house for Kevin and myself."

Marie's cries of glee echoed throughout the halls.

...

Kevin stood outside the hotel with a cigarette clutched between his thumb and his pointer finger. It's been a stressful week for him no doubt. The last time he really smoked was when Edd was in the hospital. He sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair has he unwound from the major shopping spree that Edd's mother had just took him on an hour ago. Kevin was now the proud owner of at least ten new outfits that were stuffed in bags upstairs much to Christine's dismay.

Suddenly, a familiar rumble made Kevin's ears perk up as he saw a familiar red glint pulling into the parking lot. "Ho-ly shit." Kevin drawled out as his baby and his love came rolling into view.

Edd was _driving_ his _motorcycle_ and it was quite possibly the hottest thing he had ever seen in his life. Edd had on dark shades and his leather jacket and to his surprise, Kevin's favorite Kanker Sister was clinging to Edd for dear life as he backed up into a parking space. "Babe?" Kevin called, forgetting about the cigarette in his hand as he walked towards the duo on the bike.

"Oh, hello Dear. I retrieved your baby for you." Edd smirked wickedly as he finally hopped off the bike and tossed the keys to his boyfriend who also had a cigarette in his hand. Kevin saw his eyes land on the little cancer stick and immediately dropped and crushed it under his sneaker. "I sincerely hope for your sake that you were holding it for a friend." Double D said in a low voice as he took off his sunglasses and glared at Kevin.

"I didn't know you could ride a motorcycle." Kevin said, changing the subject. He knew that they were going to talk about this later, but it needed to happen in private.

Edd caught on to Kevin and decided to humor him. "I'm a man of many mysteries, Mr. Barr."

"So am I." Kevin said coolly, crossing his strong arms across chest.

Edd eyed the cigarette but that rolled around on the ground from the light breeze. "Apparently you are."


	23. Omen

Author's Note: **dshell99** will always have my heart because she is lovely and always reviews immediately after I post a new chapter. Just imagine other thoughtful words here because I'm no good with real-world feels.

And to **Mollyxgrey** for literally almost making me cry at work with her wonderful beast of a review. Wherever you are, I love you.

Also special thanks to my other regular reviewers!

- **Royflo1, bookwormcathy,** and **t** **homaspheasant**. Out of all the wonderful people who gave my little story a shot, you guys have slayed me with your regular reviews and it's just incredible. I'm so sorry if I forgot anyone else!

Literally so much love. I can't even.

* * *

The air was thick with tension as the trio walked up to Edd and Kevin's hotel room. Marie could tell Edd was pissed about Kevin's little stress-smoking habit by the way his hands were shoved deep into his pockets and his shoulders were hunched. A scowl had etched itself deep into Edd's handsome face while he kept his anger in check for Marie's sake. Kevin was also aware of his boyfriend's feelings by the sideways glare he received when he placed a hand on the other teen's shoulder.

When they entered the room Edd walked over to his laptop on the desk and flipped it open quietly before digging his wallet out of his back pocket. Marie turned to Kevin with a questioning eye and the red-read just shrugged. "Pizza."

She nodded and the two settled onto the bed and watched a movie while Double D seemed to stick to his laptop with a hand resting under his chin in thought. "Marie." he said and tapped a long finger on the desk as to beckon her over. Marie rolled over Kevin and shuffled over to the other teen. "Look at this one."

"Oh, that's cute. Look at that, that'd be nice for the summer." Marie said as she pointed to something on the glowing screen that Kevin just couldn't make out.

"That's what I thought." Edd mused. "I don't know how I feel about the color though. I would want something darker."

"What? Lemme see." Kevin said with much curiosity as he began to get out of the spacious bed.

Edd held up a hand in his direction. "Sit down Sir Smokes A Lot. This is not meant for your eyes."

Kevin deflated back onto the bed and sighed. Edd peered over at him over his shoulder gazed at the beautiful creature he was so angry with. He tried not to let his eyes linger on the tight abs that had appeared when Kevin's tight little shirt rode up. God, why were all his clothes so goddamn _tight?_ It drove Edd crazy just thinking about it. The smoking drove him crazy too, but in a completely different way. Edd could have just pulled all his hair out right when he saw that that stupid little cigarette in his hand. They had both eluded death once in the past two months and now Kevin had the guts to put himself at risk by his own hands. The whole situation angered Double D to no end.

"Pizza." Double D said as he came out of his thoughts. Marie and Kevin stared at him with confused faces until there was a knock at the door.

"Fuckin' psychic." Kevin mumbled as he answered the door; Edd rolled his eyes, shutting his laptop and walking into the small bathroom.

Once the door was shut Edd took off his hat to let his scalp get some much needed fresh air and shrugged off his jacket. Digging around in the little bag of toiletries he finally found the item he was searching for and gave a tired sigh.

The band new bottle of pills he got when Kevin was in the hospital. These ones were a bit larger than the ones be had previously been taking for so long as they were stronger. After taking a punch to the face, Edd's mother demanded a CT. The tumor hadn't started to bleed thankfully, but it had gotten a tad larger.

Edd leaned against the sink as he read the side effects he was about to endure in order to keep living a normal life, or even a life at all. Nausea, weight loss or weight gain, vomiting, blurry vision, chronic pain, insomnia, the list went on and on. Was it even worth taking the pill that could cause just as much pain as his condition would on its own? Edd had no idea but dumped a pill in his hand and shoved his hat on his head as he walked out of the bathroom.

Kevin and Marie were sprawled out on the bed with pizza watching some horror movie on TV. Edd opened the mini fridge and grabbed a bottle of water to help him get down the horse pill. The teen tipped his head back as he swallowed and hoped for the best side effects he could get.

Two movies and a two pizzas later, Lee came to pick Marie up as it was high time the boys had their little talk. After Marie left a heavy silence hung in the air and Kevin sat on the bed and waited for the yelling to start.

It never came. Edd just locked the door behind her and sat next to Kevin. "Why?" he asked as laid down.

"Why what?"

"You obviously know it's bad for you."

"Yeah, yeah 'D. I know." Kevin sighed as he took off his cap and rested it on the nightstand.

Edd sneered at his nonchalant attitude. "Don't give me that, Kevin. Don't act like it's nothing. This is not nothing."

"It's just a little habit. I'll quit after this pack." Kevin said, stripping out of his tight shirt and pants into his pajamas.

Edd sat up and glared at the man. "A little habit? Kevin, we've both cheated death in the past two months and now you're doing this? It's ludicrous!"

"I'm not gonna die 'D. Calm down."

"You could get cancer! And you could die! Why are you so calm?" Double D yelled as he stood up and started to pace.

Kevin eyed his boyfriend carefully. "I-I don't know! It doesn't seem realistic to me."

Edd blanched at Kevin. "You want realistic? I'll give you realistic." he spat and charged away from Kevin. The jock broke out in a cold sweat as his boyfriend headed for the door, but was confused when he tore into the bathroom and came out no more than a second later. He pushed Kevin onto the bed and shoved his brand new pill bottle in his face.

"You want to keep smoking? That's fine. I'll stop taking my pills."

"Edd, stop." Kevin said firmly as he eyed the bottle that was clutched in his love's hand.

"So if I stop taking my pills and my tumor grows, you know what's going to happen? I'm going to die a slow, agonizing death. Smoking is the _same thing_ Kevin. You smoke, you get cancer, and you die."

"I said stop!" Kevin bellowed, climbing off the bed and held his head in his hands as he paced a little.

"Is that realistic enough for you? The thought of someone you love dying? Because that's all I see when you smoke." Edd's voice went from a yell down to a broken whisper as he dropped the bottle on the floor. "I love you. But either you're done, or I am."

At this, Kevin stopped pacing as he got the idea Edd had just pounded into his mind. It was extreme, but it had worked. Either they could get married and have a long life full of babies and grandbabies, or they both give into a greater evil and die young.

"Edd..." Kevin said in a a gravelly voice that made Edd's heart and throat clench. The taller teen engulfed his love in a tight hug. "Please don't stop taking your pills. Please. I _will_ stop smoking, but if I slip don't take it out on yourself. I love you Eddward so much, and you know I'd do anything for you."

It was then that Edd started to cry, which made Kevin bite his lip as he tried to hold back his own tears. "I'm sorry I brought it up." Edd sobbed into Kevin's chest.

The red-head was quiet for a moment. "The tumor?" he asked, the genius nodded. "Why?"

Edd shrugged. "I know it makes you sad. The pills and the scars, I know the look you get on your face and it breaks my heart. I try not to bring it up because it just makes everyone uncomfortable."

Kevin pulled Edd's head up and made their teary eyes meet. "Nothing about you makes me uncomfortable, Baby. Nothing. You know you can come to me with anything, even what's goin' on up in here." Kevin said, tapping Edd's forehead. "I'm with you until you decide that you've had enough of me. I said I wanted to be with you and I meant it; Edd I wanna spend the rest of my life with you but you need to let me in."

"O-okay, I will. I promise Kevin." Edd sniffled as he wiped a few of the remaining tears away. "You really want to spend the rest of your life with me?"

"Every second." Kevin smiled and pulled Edd into the deepest kiss the small teen could handle.


	24. The house

Author's Note: **KM Forever** slays me once more in the middle of my shift at work.

More drama to come!

* * *

This was it. Today was the day and Edd could barely contain himself. The realtor was going to sign over a beautiful house to him that afternoon. After weeks of sneaking around behind Kevin's back (with the help of Marie and Eddy of course) with his mother, the two finally landed on a house that Edd just couldn't get out of his head. It wasn't sleepy log cabin he secretly yearned for, but it was beautiful nonetheless. It resided three blocks away from the cul-de-sac as he would figure Kevin would want to remain close to his friends.

It was a charming little house. A small tudor with a stepping stone pathway that led up to an arched red door that stood out from the brown and black exterior. Inside it was a two bed, one bath with a kitchen, living room, and a finished basement. At first Edd thought it was too much and suggested an apartment but Christine would hear none of it. The woman practically had to drag her son into the house and as soon as he saw the oak floors, Double D was sold.

Edd was determined to make this a complete surprise for Kevin as he had on his best stoic expression that he had adopted many months prior. He stared hard at himself though the mirror as he got ready for the big meeting. A slim fitting black sweater with a white button-up underneath paired with some dark wash jeans complimented his lean figure.

"Should I leave the earrings or no?" Edd mused to the red-head behind him as he touched the three black hoops in his ear. Kevin wrapped his strong arms around Edd's middle and nuzzled his nose into the crook of his neck.

"Leave 'em. They're hot." Kevin mumbled as he dripped a few fingers into the waistband of Edd's boxers. Edd tipped his head back as he secretly enjoyed the sensation of Kevin's touch.

"Kevin, I _need_ to get ready." Edd said huskily as the taller teen pushed him closer to the edge.

"Can't it wait? You've been disappearing lately and I miss you." Kevin said before sinking his teeth into Edd's pale neck. The ravenette then whipped around and forced the larger teen up against the opposite wall with a low growl. Kevin gasped a little in surprise but happily welcomed the onslaught of love bites he was receiving. "Edd-"

"Quiet. You talk too much." Edd ordered as he ripped Kevin's shirt off over his head before returning to his last bite on the jock's chest.

Kevin had noticed over the months that Edd had two sides. The dorky and nervous side which everyone knew and loved, but then there was the tough, hungry, and commanding side that only Kevin knew. The change could be so sudden it would sometimes startle him, but it didn't matter. He loved both sides of his coin, and both of his Eddwards loved him. "What time is it?" the shorter teen asked.

"Uhm-" Kevin said before fumbling with his phone nervously. "A-almost one. Why?"

Edd sighed and pulled away from the athlete. "I have an appointment I must attend to soon. This will have to wait."

Kevin groaned and slumped against the wall. "What's more important than me?"

Edd grinned at the sight of his boyfriend. "Please refrain those sounds for another time Kevin. And I suppose you'll just have to wait and see as to what I have up my sleeve." he smirked and leaned in for one last searing kiss before he sauntered out of the bathroom.

"Cocky little shit..." Kevin muttered as he tried to collect himself from the recent attack on his chest. He looked down to see four new bruises littering his skin.

"Language Pumpkin." Edd called from the other room and a few seconds went by until he walked back into the bathroom. Edd was wearing a long black peacoat and placed his messenger bag over his shoulder. "I'll return later, try not to miss me too much."

Kevin merely grumbled in response and folded his arms across his chest which made Edd sigh. "Kevin, you'll be thanking me later for putting sex off once you see what I've been doing."

Kevin's face burned at the thought of sex with his love, which made the other chuckle. Edd placed a kiss on Kevin's hot cheek and was out the door with a final goodbye. Kevin sunk to the floor and put his hands over his mouth once he was sure that Edd was gone. Worries began to slowly eat away at him they finally approached the subject. _Sex._

Kevin was by no means a virgin, he was a senior in high school after all. Some of the girls he was once with claimed he was God himself, but that was just it. Those were girls, this was Eddward Vincent. Smartest kid in school who had hinted and somewhat proven that he was rather experienced in that area. What if he did something wrong? Would Edd laugh? That would ruin Kevin if that did happen.

Eventually he got off the bathroom floor and dragged himself to the bed that Edd had made not that long ago. Kevin really could have gone for a cigarette at that moment, but pushed the craving aside for the sake of his boyfriend.

...

Christine and Edd sat quietly on a plush brown couch. Christine waited patiently for Edd to some out of his shocked silence. "I can't believe it..."

"Hm?" Christine inquired as she flipped another page in her book. They had been sitting there for a good hour.

Edd turned to his mother with a serious face. "This is mine?"

"All yours." she said with a smile. Everything went smoothly at the meeting with the realtor and Eddward still had the house keys clutched tight in his fist as his face finally broke out into a large smile.

"Ours." Edd breathed as he thought about the certain red-head waiting for him to return.

...

It was nearly ten at night when Kevin finally heard the door click and then swing open. "Edd?" he called, sitting up from his spot in the bed.

"It's me Dear." Edd said through a stifled yawn, dropping his bag on the ground and shrugging out of his coat. The man looked absolutely exhausted and Kevin welcomed him into the bed with open arms. "I missed you." Edd mumbled into the soft cotton of Kevin's shirt.

"I missed you too. Where'd you go today? You we're gone for a long time."

Edd sat up slowly and started to tug the snug sweater over his lean body. "I'll show you tomorrow, alright? I'm just so tired right now..."

"You alright 'D?" Kevin asked, face growing warm at the sight of his boyfriend's bare skin. Edd nodded a little and tugged his jeans off, replacing them with black sweatpants.

"The pills make me tired is all, but I'm fine Kevin." Edd said and collapsed onto the bed. "What'd you do today?" he asked as he laid his head and an arm on Kevin's chest.

"I hung out with Rolf and Nazz at her house and we ate, God, like three pizzas between us. It was awesome."

Double D giggled sleepily against the warm fabric. "That sounded like a good time. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

"I think I'm goin' soft 'D. Feel, this is what pizza and skipping the gym does to you." Kevin whined as he poked his stomach. "Why is pizza go good but so bad for you at the same time?"

A lazy smile made it's way across Edd's face as he dipped his fingers across Kevin's stomach. Indeed, it did feel softer but his abs were still visible. "Well abs or not, I still love you." Edd yawned once more and tugged the covers up over his shoulders with one hand while the other one remained firmly planted on the hot skin.

"What? Really?" Kevin asked, a bit shocked by his boyfriend's words. He looked down to see Edd passed out cold and slightly drooling. The redhead sat back and smiled to himself.

Kevin really did have himself a keeper.

...

"Where're we going again?" Kevin asked for the tenth time that hour, blindfolded in the passenger seat. Edd stared hard at the road nervously as they neared the familiar cul-de-sac and soon passed it.

"We're almost there. Promise." Edd said and took a left down a cozy little street with rows of trees on either side. Edd pulled up against the curb, got out, and quickly walked around to the other side to open Kevin's door.

Edd took a deep breath to steady himself as he placed Kevin in front of their new house. "Ready?"

"Yeah yeah." Kevin said with his arms crossed. Double D stood up on his tip toes to untie the blindfold and let Kevin gaze at the house. "Why're we here?" he asked, obviously not catching on to Christine's gift to them.

"This...this is for you." Edd said quietly as he pressed a key into the other's palm. Kevin's eyed widened and he jerked his head from the key back to the beautiful little house in utter shock.

"You're fuckin' with me 'D. I-I can't. This is a joke right?" Kevin laughed as he gripped the key.

"No. This is what I've been disappearing to every day with Mother. I wanted to make sure it was perfect for when I showed you. It's a gift. You'll never have to come home to an angry house again."

Kevin put a hand over his eyes and then swiftly pulled Edd into a bone crushing hug. "This is such bullshit." the teen sobbed, effectively soaking the ravenette's shoulder.

"I beg your pardon?" Edd said, pulling away to look the other in the eye.

Kevin wiped away a fat tear and sniffled. "How am I ever gonna top this?"

Edd smiled broadly and shrugged. "There's still another part to your gift."

"What is it?"

"Me."

Kevin then picked Edd up and stun him around in the air, causing a fit of giggles from the smaller teen. Kevin hadn't cried so much in years.


	25. Home

Author's Note: **KM Forever** (INTERNAL SCREAMING AND TABLE THROWING INTENSIFIES)

dshell99 and I are conspiring against all of you lovely people. Shame on us.

* * *

Kevin lay panting heavily on his and Edd's plush king sized bed, his sweaty hands gripped the soft comforter tightly. His chest was glimmering in a sheen of sweat along with a trail of dark red and purple bruises leading down to his pelvis.

"Are you alright Dear?" Edd asked smugly as he walked out of the closet with nothing more than a pair of boxers on. "You seem a but out of breath."

Kevin merely nodded a little and shut his eyes. Edd made his way over to the bed and climbed halfway onto the larger teen, pressing a sweet kiss on the corner of his mouth. "Love you,"

"Love you more." Kevin said as he returned the kiss and wrapped Edd up in his arms. The ravenette began to squirm suddenly as Kevin wouldn't relinquish his hold on him.

"Good Lord Kevin! Cease this at once, you're getting sweat all over me!" Edd squealed, trying to push Kevin away by placing small hands on the other's chest. Kevin nipped at Edd's ear lobe gently.

"It didn't seem to bother you earlier." he said huskily, but then let his lover go. "We could go shower if you want."

Edd stood up and shook his arms off before turning around to face Kevin with a suddenly devilish grin on his face. "We could but...I don't believe you could handle round two."

Kevin let his head roll back with a lazy smile on his face as he thought about his third gift Edd had given to him.

 _Edd led Kevin into their new home quietly as the red-head was in utter shock. Kevin absorbed the classy oak wood finishes and red accents that was definitely Christine's doing. In the living room there was a nice sized flat screen TV that Kevin knew was solely for him, Edd hardly ever watch TV without him. Everyone knew he preferred books to anything else besides Kevin._

 _Before he knew it Edd was leading him down the hall to one of the bedrooms. "Is this..?"_

 _"Ours." Edd answered for him, letting go of his hand and stepping further into the room. "All of your things are here for you, you can rearrange them however you'd like."_

 _Kevin set his hands on either side of his face in disbelief as he gazed around the room. "This is..." his thoughts were lost as he saw his love shed his coat and scarf.  
_

 _"If you are interested, there is a third and final gift waiting for you." Edd said as he hung up the articles of clothing._

 _"I really can't accept anymore gifts 'D, I really appreciate everything but-"_

 _Kevin's throat clamped shut as Edd dropped his shirt on the ground and had a hand resting on the button of his jeans. "So you don't want me?"_

 _"Y-you said I got you when we were outside 'D..." Kevin said lamely as his eyes lingered down Edd's lean frame._

 _Edd chuckled and shook his head, walking up to the tall teen he grabbed him by the chin. "Me."_

 _"Oh...!"_

...

The night had ended with Edd falling asleep in Kevin's arms after treating him _very_ well. All of Kevin's fears about not being good enough for Edd were put to rest once the smaller of the two guided him through the process of making love. Edd never once got frustrated with Kevin for his lack of knowledge, but rather enjoyed the role of teacher and student as he made the red-head see stars for the first time.

Kevin was woken up the morning by a certain inky-haired teen sucking the life out of him. His legs wen't wobbly at the little reminders that littered his skin. He got up on uncertain legs and shuffled to the shower on his own while his better half got ready in their room.

An hour later the two teens were walking to school. It was Kevin's first day back and Edd had just decided to stay out of the commotion for the day. Kevin needed to get back into the swing of things and couldn't do that if some mindless jock was threatening him for talking to his love.

"Barr!" a chorus of voices roared as the two teens passed the football field. Immediately a crowd of large teens started running in their direction and Kevin stopped with a large smirk on his face as he saw his friends again.

"Hey guys, what's up..." Kevin's words were lost as he was engulfed in the mosh pit of teens. Edd just kept walking when Kevin's friends called out for him, never looking back in worry because he knew that Kevin would be just fine.

...

Edd stayed clear of his jock most of the day. It was easy since Marie clung to his arm in her usual fashion, it helped keep his thoughts at bay.

"So when ya gonna invite me over 'D?" Marie said excitedly as they rounded the corner to their next class together.

Edd shrugged. "Is this weekend alright for you? I was thinking of having my guy invite the rest of the cul-de-sac as well."

"Your guy?"

Edd and Marie whirled around to face the familiar voice. "Hello Jarad." Edd said coldly. Marie's fingers dug into his arm at they stared each other down harshly.

"What're you doing here? I thought you were somebody's tail in prison." Marie growled, standing tall next to her best friend and fake boyfriend. Jarad's eyes flashed to Marie's in a snap and he jabbed a finger in her direction.

"Why don't you just shut the fuck up and go back to the trailer park with the other Kanker Sores where you bitches belong?" Jarad snapped and went to shove her back, but a hand caught his wrist and pushed it to the side.

"Don't speak to Marie like that." Edd snarled and pushed the bully's hand away. "You need to leave Jarad."

Jarad shoved Edd back into his locker, causing books to fall and papers scattered across the hall. Other students began to stare at the three teens who were huddled in a close group. Edd had gotten in Jarad's face and the two were practically growling at each other.

Students began to form a circle around the two boys and Jarad took the first swing. Edd dodged it easily, yanking Marie out of the way of his fist as well. "Please get out of the area Marie, you could get hurt."

Marie looked into her best friend's eyes and knew without a doubt that he had the situation under control, so she just nodded and scrambled away.

"Hey, are you alright?" Nazz asked, holding onto Marie's arm lightly. The blue-haired girl nodded and placed her hand over Nazz's out of comfort. "What's Jarad even doing here?" she asked, watching Edd shed his jacket to reveal a red shirt that hugged his muscles tightly, some girls even whistled.

"He said he was here to finish what he started."

...

Edd and Jarad circled each other. This is what Edd had been bulking up for, the inevitable impasse in which one of the two boys needed to go down so they could lay hard feelings to rest.

Jarad swung again and stumbled a little when Edd dodged again under his arm, taking the chance to throw a hard punch to Jarad's ribs. The beefy teen yelled in pain and Edd sent another fist to his mouth, little droplets of blood splattered the floor like rain. "You little fag!" Jarad screamed and charged at his small opponent who had become much stronger in the past few months.

In the midst of defending himself against the harsh throws that send him to the hospital once and dishing back just as hard, Edd didn't notice a certain tanned and toned red-head make his way to the front of the crowd.

 _"Edd!"_

Double D ignored Kevin's deep voice and tried to find another opening so he could finally end this fight. Both the teens were breathing heavy with bloody knuckles and noses. Edd could tell Jarad was getting tired from the fight by the way his shoulders slumped and his head lolled from side to side as he tried to shake off the punches.

Edd took one last chance when he saw Jarad's fist loosen up and tackled him to the floor in such a way that would have made any football player nod in approval. Edd kneeled on the beaten player's chest and knocked the teen out in one harsh punch; a tooth skidded across the floor.

The inky-haired teen stood slowly over the jock and wiped blood off of his face his the back of a wrist before looking back down at the person who almost killed him at one time.

"Fuck you." Double D spat, then picked up his jacket and began to walk off through the crowd that had parted for him.

"Edd." a stern voice said. Double D stopped halfway to the door and turned around to face a red Kevin. Students immediately paused at the interaction as if another fight would break out by simply staring at the two boys.

"Pumpkin." Edd said aloud, hushed whispers broke out. Kevin slowly walked up to the bloody teen and after a minute of a hard stare-down, the football caption smiled widely.

"You know what this means?" the red-head asked quietly, Edd raised an eyebrow in question. "You just beat shit out of our biggest player. No one's gonna fuck with you now."

Edd chuckled and shook his head a little before holding out a hand. "I'm going home Kevin, are you going to be joining me?"

Kevin grinned and laced his fingers with his love's, ignoring the loud chatter around them.

"Yeah, let's go home baby."


	26. Break a Sweat

**This chapter is rated M for 'It's 9:21 in the morning and goddammit this is how I'm gonna start out my day!'**

 **No but seriously. Lovins ahead.**

* * *

No one dared to touch Edd the next week at school. Although most were shocked by the news of the new couple, no one said a thing as both teens could clearly handle themselves. It was common knowledge that Kevin would put any team member in their place if his role as team captain were to ever be questioned. Edd on the other hand, previously known as the weak nerd that almost died at the fists of Jarad Forb, proved himself by beating the largest football player to a pulp in the middle of a hallway. So when the two boys arrived the next day hand in hand with their best tough fronts, no one so much as uttered a word about them.

Marie shrugged with a smile as her ex-fake boyfriend was finally at peace with himself and his relationship now that it was finally out in the open. Sure, she was still a little torn up about the whole Nazz situation, but she didn't let it get the best of her. There were always more fish in the sea.

"Hey you,"

Marie snapped out of her daydream and turned to the tall blonde next to her. "Hey Nazzy, what's up?"

Nazz smiled a little at Marie's nickname and glanced down at her feet. "Nothin', just wanted to know if you could hang after school." she asked, adjusting the books in her arms. This threw Marie off as she just began to think about pursuing other girls and then suddenly the hot blonde wanted to finally spend some time with her. She tried to ignore the flutter in her gut as Nazz bit her full bottom lip and nodded with a smile. "Cool. I'll see you later Marie!"

Marie waved after her a little and sighed against her locker in confusion and happiness. "Well, well." a familiar voice mused, Marie groaned and settled her gaze on her favorite ravenette.

"What?"

Edd smirked and leaned up against the set of lockers with his arms crossed against his chest. "Did you not see it?"

"See what?"

"The way she acted around you Marie. I have to say I see some chemistry." Edd mused, adjusting his old hat and looking away nonchalantly.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Marie huffed and stuck her nose in the air. She wasn't going to let herself get too attached to the blonde again just to face the same heartbreak. Again. "C'mon, let's just get to class."

Edd pushed off the locker and they walked side by side. "You just say that because you don't understand science."

Marie laughed and shoved him a little. She noticed little looks the duo were receiving from the little freshman who were huddled in groups in the hall. "Edd, look." she pointed to the underclassmen with a long finger. "Just look at 'em, I wanna see what happens."

Edd sighed through his nose and shoved his hands in his pockets before sliding his glare over to the wall of younger students who immediately bristled under his gaze. "Oh dear..." he mused, expression softening.

Marie nearly fell over with laughter and grabbed his shoulder for support. "I thought that boy was gonna pee himself!"

"Not funny Marie, consider your invitation to my home revoked." Edd said and continued his walk to class, not waiting for the blue-haired girl to catch up.

When Edd took his seat in his world history class, he head the creak of a desk as his neighbor leaned over to him. "Aye long time, no see." Eddy said with a smirk.

Edd smiled a little. "Ah, I apologize for my absence lately Eddy. I've been a little...preoccupied. I hope you're not upset with me."

Eddy waved him off and set his desk on the ground with a thunk. "Don't worry about it Double D. I had a feeling you and Jockstrap would be breaking in that new house you guys just got. Speaking of which, anyone give you any trouble?"

Edd went positively red all the way down to his neck and coughed a bit, turning away from his friend. "N-no Eddy, everything's been fine. Thank you."

The shortest Ed laughed and turned back to face the front of the class where the teacher stood with a student. Edd squinted his eyes at the teen but couldn't recognize him from behind. He must have been new.

When he turned around, his face paled at the sight of the student. He was tall, dark, and handsome. The teen wore his old school's football jersey with a pair of fitted jeans and what looked to be a very expensive pair of Jordans. "Hola." he said in a deep voice after the teacher introduced him as a new student. "My name's Eduardo, I just moved here from Brightton."

Eddy nearly lost his shit as soon as the tall Latino turned around, Edd just shrunk down in his seat. Once Eduardo was done introducing himself, he sauntered by the two Eds and took the open seat behind Eddy. With a sly grin, he leaned forward and flashed a stunning smile. "Hola Eddy...Double D."

Eddy grunted in response but otherwise said nothing, Double D was still pale as he couldn't bring himself to look at the new student. "Eduardo."

Eduardo chuckled and played his with pencil. "What? Not happy to see an old friend?"

Eddy grumbled and crossed his arms. "Not when that old friend's you."

Eduardo rolled his glimmering chestnut eyes turned his attention to the other Ed. "Double D, you look...different. I like it." he mused and gave the pale teen a good up-down. Eddy suddenly turned around and jabbed a finger in his face.

"Leave 'im alone, jerk. You already wrecked him once, don't even think about doing it a second time."

"Aye, look. I know I made a mistake but I wanna make some...amends." he said confidently as he gazed at Double D once more. The other just shuddered and started to scrawl down notes in order to distract himself from the eyes boring themselves into the back of his skull.

...

Kevin had to stay after school for baseball practice that day. When Edd got the text, he grabbed Kevin a water and a snack and began his trek to the diamonds not that far from the school. Edd's mind was jumbled full of confused thoughts as the Eduardo's face flashed uncomfortably in his mind.

"Eddward!" an accented voice called out. Double D groaned inwardly as he kept walking forward, not looking back. "Hola, Edd. Did you not hear me? I called out for you."

"Oh, I heard you." Edd mumbled and put his head down as he walked closer to where his boyfriend was. Eduardo didn't let Edd sully his mood, but instead found it as a challenge and pressed on.

"I missed you querido."Eduardo said softly, Double D shook his head as he finally began to walk into the parking lot and searched silently for his favorite red-head.

"Why are you following me?" Edd asked, pausing as Kevin was in the middle of a group meeting. Players sprawled out on the cool grass as they listen to Kevin and the coach go on about the upcoming season.

"I'm here to try out for the team. Sólo pensé que podía caminar a lo largo. No se puede tener a alguien tratar de robar que puedo?"

"Demasiado tarde." Edd said and walked over to the now disbanded team with an Eduardo close to his heels. "Hello Kevin." he greeted with a stressed smile as he knew Eduardo was eyeing his every move.

"Oh, hey 'D. What's up?" Kevin asked as he tucked his clipboard under his arm and smiled widely as he took off his batting gloves.

"I knew you had to stay late today, so I brought you this." Edd said and handed Kevin the goods he brought. The red-head smiled fondly at him and happily took the water and snacks from his love.

"Thanks Babe. Who's this?" Kevin said as he ripped the package of tail mix open with his teeth, looking over at the newcomer.

Eduardo's eyes widened the tiniest bit and smirked. "Ah, my name's Eduardo, It's a pleasure to meet you." Eduardo said politely and then turned his attention to Edd. "I didn't know that you moved on! That's quite surprising..."

Kevin nearly did a spit take. "Moved on? Edd what's-?" he sputtered, looking down at his fidgeting boyfriend. Eduardo chuckled and slung a long arm around Edd's shoulders.

"Did he not tell you about the Great Eduardo Menez who stole his heart many years ago?" he said grandly, not noticing Kevin's reddening complexion. "We had great fun together!"

"No. He didn't." Kevin clipped, his fist clenched hard against the soft plastic of the water bottle. "Edd?" he asked, snapping his head in the pale teen's direction.

"I-I may have- uhm, there was no reason to bring the topic up?" Edd tried, wringing his hands out of old habit.

"Why not?" the two larger teens said at once; all eyes were on Edd. The ravenette gently removed himself from Eduado's arm and backed away quickly.

Eduardo Menez, the man who had stolen Edd's heart in the end of junior high and returned it in pieces sophomore year after a summer apart. Apparently the time apart was too much for the Latino heartthrob, but Edd had always thought it was for someone else. It didn't matter anymore anyways, he was with Kevin now and they loved each other.

Kevin walked over to the retreating teen in a few strides, the baseball pants he sported were doing wonders for Edd despite the situation. The red-head had abandoned his water and gripped Edd's upper arms gently. Edd briefly thought about Kevin's short temper but was wiped away as the baseball player dipped him into a passionate kiss in front of everyone.

Edd immediately melted into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Kevin's middle as Eduardo blanched from the sidelines. All to soon, Kevin pulled away, but was still close enough that their noses were still touching. "We _will_ talk about this when I get home tonight." he said huskily and Edd shivered.

Kevin's face was impossible to read as he turned on his heel and walked away, beckoning Eduardo after him with a finger. The Latino quickly followed behind him as he took one last glance at the pile of goo that used to be his.

...

Edd's hat lay temporarily abandoned on the kitchen island as he made dinner later that night. Kevin was out later than usual, but he tried not to worry himself about it. Kevin was a grown man after all.

It was half past six when he finally heard the door open and shut with a firm click. "Kevin?" Edd called, but merely received a grunt in response. Edd frowned a little and turned back to his homemade pizza on the counter. A few seconds later a pair of tanned arms snaked themselves around his middle and something warm pressed onto his neck. "Darling,"

Edd stopped spreading the dough and held his hands in midair as the other had slipped his hand to grab Edd's hipbone. "Edd." Kevin said in a dangerously low voice that made Edd's stomach flutter. "Time to talk."

Kevin quickly whipped Edd around to face him and pinned the smaller teen against the counter. Edd squeaked in surprise as the all-star ground his hips into his own and swooped down to press a searing kiss on Edd. Fingers ghosted themselves from the small of Edd's back to the curve of his ass, and finally stopped at the back of his thigh where Kevin hefted the other's leg up to hook it around his waist.

Edd wrapped his arms around the red-head's neck as the kiss became for feverish. "C'mon." Kevin said, as he pulled Edd from the counter and padded to their bedroom with the ravenette still clinging to him. The look in Kevin's eyes could only be described as animalistic.

"Is this-ah! H-how we talk?" Edd panted as Kevin sucked on a sensitive spot on his neck. Kevin responded with a bite as they climbed onto the bed.

The red-head grabbed Edd's wrists and held them over the other's head. "You. Are mine now. True or false?"

Edd blinked a few times before quietly replying. "T-true."

"Don't forget it. But there are consequences for today." Kevin said, releasing the small hands and yanking down Edd's pants.

"W-what? Kev-AH!" Edd moaned as pleasure rolled over him. Kevin had a firm hold on him, a devilish smirk stitched onto his face.

"Say it." Kevin ordered as he continued to tease his boyfriend. "Say what I wanna hear."

Edd writhed in bed as Kevin continued to move at a painstakingly slow pace. "I-I'm yours Kevin." Edd struggled to find words. Usually it was _himself_ that was doing all the work, he wasn't used to being touched like this. "Nobody else's. God, Kevin, _please!_ " he practically begged, arching his back the tiniest bit.

"Good." he said, and increased his speed. Edd only wanted more at this point, he needed Kevin to take control of him and he _needed_ to see those goddamned stars. It wasn't an option.

Just when Edd was so close to the edge, Kevin stopped which earned him a half-moan, half-whine from his love. Kevin reached into the nightstand where he _knew_ that Edd kept those things that were going to help them see stars.

"Baby?" Kevin asked as he readied the two of them.

"Hm?"

"Don't be afraid to wake the neighbors." Kevin said with finality and began his ascent, gripping Edd's hips tightly. "Fuck! Edd!" Kevin said as stretched his lover thin. Tears pricked at Edd's eyes as a spark of discomfort shot through his lower half, but blinked them away when it was soon replaced with a feeling of euphoria.

Edd's eyes rolled back slightly and he let out a long, loud whine while Kevin moaned lowly. They paused, breathing heavy for a moment as they aloud themselves to adjust. Kevin waited until Edd's breathing slowed down with a careful eye, then quickly pulled out and rammed himself back in. "Dieu! Dieu s'il vous plaît..." Edd said with a moan; Kevin's ears perked up.

"French? That's incredibly sexy..." Kevin growled and sat back on his knees, taking the ravenette with him who gasped in surprise. Edd couldn't think of a single thing to say as he rose and fell steadily on Kevin's lap.

"Kevin..." Edd breathed as he rested his head into the crook of his love's neck. He was coming undone, and Kevin could tell. Their first time had been slow as Edd taught Kevin how to love another man. Now, it was Kevin's turn and he'd be damned if he didn't exceed Edd's expectations second time around. "I-I'm-!"

Kevin pulled out of Edd almost all the way and slammed back into him, _hard._ Edd cried out to God in French as Kevin pushed into him deeper than he ever had and with a shudder they came together.

They stayed like that for a moment with Double D's head laying on Kevin's shoulder and the other still gripping Edd's hips, surely leaving bruises in their wake. After a few minutes, Kevin lifted his love off of him with a sharp gasp as they disconnected. Edd lay tired and limp on their bed, his neck and upper chest sported a few bites but his hips held patches of bruises as Kevin's strength got the better of him. The red-head slipped out of the bed and stumbled to the bathroom to grab a washcloth.

When he returned and started to clean the two of them up, Edd brushed the black bangs out of his face and gave a weary smile. "I love you Kevin."

The red-head smiled and placed a loving kiss on Edd's lips. "Love you too Baby."


	27. Nobody Said It Was Easy

Author's Note: **Pearlsonlytear** , tell me more.

The musical stylings of The Scientist by Coldplay and When We Were Young by Adele will be heavily influencing the next couple chapters. I apologize in advance.

* * *

Edd woke up feeling terrible.

A thin sheet of sweat covered his body which caused his hair to stick to his face. Edd groaned as his stomach did flips and sat up slowly, but the carefulness did no use as the motion caused intense nausea. Clamping a hand over his mouth, he caught the edge of the small trashcan under the nightstand and promptly spilled last night's dinner into it.

Kevin stirred on the other side of the bed from Edd's gagging, but settled after a minute or two. Edd sighed and slowly stood from the bed with the trashcan still tucked to his chest. The teen shuffled to the bathroom on wobbly legs and plopped down on the rug after shutting the door behind him. "Filthy..." Edd muttered as he set the soiled can in the tub and pulled his shaggy black hair into a half-ponytail as he waited for the next round to begin.

The side effects from his new pills had started approximately the day after Edd started taking them. The drowsiness, vomiting, and blurry vision each had a set schedule throughout the day; for instance, the blurry vision would remain almost constant but there were times when Edd did have moments of clarity. The vomiting would ensue at six in the morning and again around eight at night while the drowsiness would occur after anything remotely strenuous.

The bathroom door creaked open to reveal a yawning red-head holding a bottle of Pepto and Edd's glasses. Kevin said nothing as he stumbled around the small room half asleep, eventually wetting a washcloth down and sat down on the edge of the tub behind Edd. The ginger tenderly pressed it to the other's forehead to wipe away the sweat. Kevin rubbed Edd's back to sooth the teen as round two came around.

"'D..." Kevin started as he watched Edd spew bile into the porcelain bowl.

"Don't, Kevin." Edd panted, holding a hand over his eyes. Kevin wiped the cloth across Edd's face again and sighed. They did this almost every morning as Edd's symptoms intensified. Kevin would stir when Edd got out of bed, but only get up once he head the bathroom door shut.

"Please, Baby. Can we just think about telling your ma? Or go to another doctor? I know you're miserable." Kevin begged as he gently raked his fingers through Edd's hair.

"I'm better off miserable versus the alternative." Edd clipped. Kevin clamped his mouth shut and looked away. Edd saw the frustration give way to sorrow on his love's face and felt the guilt weigh down his shoulders. "Kevin...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

Kevin eyed his love carefully for a moment before grabbing the glasses off the sink and placing them on the other's face. Kevin noticed how he blinked a few times and finally focused on him. "It's fine. Here." he said as he held out a tiny cup filled with pink liquid that Edd hated so much these days.

The two didn't say much as they got ready for their last semester of high school. Anxiousness nipped at the back of Edd's mind as he slipped on his ripped black jeans. What were they going to do after school ended? Kevin had briefly mentioned going to Peach Creek University on the football scholarship he had received, but spoke nothing more of the subject.

Edd however, was more conflicted than ever about his future. As a child he was determined to follow in Mother and Father's footsteps to become a world class surgeon, but now the idea seemed dreadful. His parents had spent the majority of their lives saving other people but were ripped apart in the end. The pressure to find a cure for Edd had ruined his parents' marriage.

As the teen tugged a shirt over his head, he began to wonder what he really wanted to do. Edd wanted to better himself for the sake of other people in need but becoming a doctor was out of the question. He wanted a life outside of work. Thinking of different professions that matched his criteria, his face turned into one of utter concentration.

"Babe? You okay?" Kevin asked as he popped his head into their bedroom to see his boyfriend frozen in thought. "Edd?"

Edd's hands still gripped the edges of his shirt after pulling it down as he was still paused from getting dressed. "I'm...fine. I just- I'm trying to think."

Kevin chuckled a little and snatched his wallet off the dresser and stuffed it in his back pocket. "That's never been a problem before. D'you have a fever?"

Edd scrunched his tiny nose up as Kevin pressed a large hand to his forehead. "I assure you I'm well Darling."

"Good." Kevin said and walked over to the closet to grab a shirt. "Whatcha thinkin' about?"

Edd stepped over to his laptop and opened it. "Career choices."

"And? Did you finally decide what you're goin' in for?" Kevin asked as he threw on a random shirt and ruffled his hair with a hand.

"I still have to do some research but I have to admit that being in the field of medicine does interest me." Edd said as his long fingers typed away quickly.

"So a doctor then?"

Edd faked a gag as he glanced at Kevin briefly. "God no. I was thinking more...hmm..." he said in thought, placing a finger on his chin. "Two years for an associate's, over a thousand hours of coursework...AP and advanced skills..."

Kevin walked over to look at the screen his boyfriend was mumbling over but the genius swiveled around in his chair before he could see. "I need more information." he pronounced and promptly shut his laptop.

"For what?" Kevin asked as he raised an eyebrow. Edd shoved his old beanie on his head and leaned up to place a kiss on Kevin's chin.

"It's ludicrous, really. I need more information. One cannot possibly choose a career in a matter of five minutes." Edd said with a gapped-tooth grin as he became more accustomed to the idea of his profession.

Edd's boyfriend of nearly seven months eyed him suspiciously as Edd's grin grew into a devilish one. "I like the idea of becoming an EMT."

"EMT? That's like a paramedic right?" Kevin asked. The athlete found it odd how the thought of his boyfriend with a set of defibrillators was extremely hot to him.

"Correct. Paramedics require much more training than an Emergency Medical Technician because they're allowed to do so much more. I would prefer to be a paramedic but most people who choose that field stay an EMT to gain experience."

"I thought you wanted to be a professor or something? What happened to that?"

Edd shrugged and slung the strap of his messenger bag over his shoulder. "Those instances where you and I needed medical attention so long ago made me realize my desire to help those in need. I want to assist those who were in need like we were. I want to better myself for the sake of others."

Kevin smiled lovingly at his man and pulled him in for a proud hug. "I can understand that."

...

Edd vowed to see his mother after a wave of nausea had caught him completely by surprise during third period. At the moment Double D was hunched over in the handicapped stall as he got sick.

Eddy stood outside the stall door with his arms crossed, guarding the area as a best friend would. "I can't believe this." Eddy said aloud to his sick friend.

"Ugh...what?" Edd moaned from inside the stall, crinkling of toilet paper could be heard as the genius wiped his mouth off in disgust.

"I never thought I'd see the day where Brickhead got my little Double D pregnant. Unbelievable."

Edd started choking as he inhaled a piece of paper that he was holding to his mouth when Eddy spoke. "E-Eddy!" he said in a hoarse voice.

"I thought you two were using protection!" Eddy shrieked as a horrified mother would, if only Edd could see the massive grin on his face. In the midst of his joking, the shortest Ed didn't notice the bathroom door swing open.

"Who's using what now?"

Eddy whipped around with narrowed eyes at the accented voice. Eduardo stood clad in a pair of expensive looking pants and a light green polo that highlighted his hazel eyes. Eddy let a smirk crawl its way onto his face and leaned back against the wall casually. "Double D's pregnant."

"Eddy!" Edd shrieked from the stall, Eduardo paled.

"Buen Dios..." Eduardo said with a hand to his forehead. The stall door suddenly flew open to reveal a disheveled looking Double D. His hat was askew and glasses perched on the end of his nose as if he threw them on in a haste.

Edd still held a hand to his stomach as he wandered over to the sink and splashed some water on his face. "Are you alright Edd?" Eduardo asked as he walked over to the pale teen.

"I'm just feeling a little under the weather." Edd replied, brushing off Eduardo's attempt to seem concerned. "Please go about your business."

The Latino pursed his lips and studied Edd's face but said nothing and backed off. Edd sighed and looked over at his friend. "Would you please tell Kevin that I'll see him at home next time you are able to see him?"

"Sure thing 'D." Eddy said with a salute and watched as his friend walked out of the bathroom, leaving him alone with the confused Latino.

Edd sighed in relief as he escaped his ex-boyfriend's overly concerned gaze. The two had dated for a little less than two years but Edd only knew him as a stranger now.

True, Eduardo nearly rivaled Kevin when it came to good looks, but they were nothing alike personality-wise. Edd and Eduardo's relationship had been doomed from the start when it happened. Saying Eduardo was a flirt was putting it lightly. When the two boys were apart, Edd would hear rumors of Eduardo messing around with another student, boy or girl, it didn't matter. Eduardo Menez got what he wanted.

When Double D would confront Eduardo about his actions, the Latino would pick a nasty fight. There was always a generous amount of blame placed over Edd's head for not being enough for him. It lowered the pale teen's self confidence dramatically, especially after their first time when Eduardo mentioned the sex 'could have been better'.

Edd shook the memories out of his head as he rounded the corner to the nurse's office. His movements slowed as he saw the familiar red-head standing in front of an information stand. "Kevin? Why aren't you in class?"

Kevin whirled around with a pamphlet clutched in his hand. "Hey you. I could ask the same thing. Are you feeling okay? You look sick again..."

Edd blushed as his boyfriend worried over him. "I'm a little sick, I was going to head home for the day. Now explain yourself mister."

Kevin rubbed the back of his head nervously and looked away. "I was going to see the guidance counselor."

Edd's ears perked up at the other's words. "Oh? For what?"

Kevin took a breath to calm himself and looked at his love. Eddward Vincent had been his loving partner for the better part of seven months, almost going on eight. They loved each other to death and as much as Kevin wanted to flee and hide, he needed to be honest. This was bigger than them.

"I'm going for this." Kevin said as he held out the pamphlet.


	28. Kevin's Decision

Author's Note: Wonderwall by Oasis.

Listen. Do it.

* * *

Edd didn't remember how he managed to stumble home early from school that day. He didn't even notice that his shoes were still on his feet when he felt the welcoming embrace of his bed and he collapsed onto it.

 _"This is something I have to do."_

Edd curled into the fluffy blankets after kicking his shoes off onto the floor. God, he just wanted to sleep but his mind kept racing. One hand tugged the blanket up over his shoulder while the other covered his eyes. Edd bit his bottom lip to keep himself from unraveling on the spot; he needed to be the supportive boyfriend that Kevin deserved and not some sniveling, selfish child.

 _"Please try to understand." Kevin said as Edd gripped the tiny pamphlet in his hand._

 _"Why?" Edd asked, not taking his eyes off the glossy paper as his heart started to sink slowly._

 _"You said it yourself this morning. You want to better yourself for the sake of others Edd, and so do I." Kevin said, his voice was gentle and firm at the same time. Edd knew there was no changing his mind by the tone of Kevin's voice. This was going to happen whether Edd wanted it to or not._

 _"I-I thought-the football scholarship?" Edd said as he set his glassy eyes on the love of his life, confusion seemed threatened to spill down his face in the form of salty tears but Edd held them back dutifully. This was about Kevin, not him. Even if the thought killed him a little inside._

 _"I've always planned to join the military Edd. All the sports I was in- those were just hobbies." Kevin explained, shoving his hands in his pockets out of a nervous habit he developed when he was younger._

 _Edd let out a shaky breath and blinked away the tears. "God...when I inquired about PCU and you mentioned the scholarship, you knew all along you weren't going to take it?"_

 _"Y-yeah. I knew. I just wanted to wait until the time was right to tell you..." Kevin admitted and lowered his gaze to the floor. Edd took a deep breath and put on his best 'I'm fine' face and looked up to the future soldier standing in front of him._

 _"W-we can talk about this more at home, right?"_

 _Kevin nodded and tentatively stepped forward to pull his love into a gentle embrace. "Of course. We'll talk about anything you want. I love you Edd and I'm sorry."_

...

After a few hours of lying in bed with his depressing thoughts, he eventually got up and make a phone call to his mother. He had explained to her about the intense side effects he was experiencing and an appointment was immediately scheduled for three o'clock that same day. Christine took nothing about her son's fickle health issues, but did admit that the side effects should have been slim to none instead of the almost crippling symptoms Edd was having.

Edd had showered before his appointment, now dressed in a pair of nice dark jeans and a black and orange Peach Creek High t-shirt. He was standing in the kitchen reading a thick book while absently playing with the tab on his soda when he heard the familiar jingle of keys in the door. The air was immediately filled with a thick tension as the red-head walked into their home with a thick manila envelope tucked under his arm. Kevin looked up to meet Edd's pensive gaze. "Hey," he breathed as he kicked his shoes off, not taking his eyes away from the sad blue ones that captured his heart.

"Hey you." Edd offered a smile to the other and set the large book down and walked over to him. "I gave in and called Mother about my troubling symptoms. I have an appointment later." Edd said, trying to strike up casual conversation to try to clear the suffocating tension in the air.

"That's great!" Kevin said and set his things down on the kitchen island and walked over to place a gentle kiss on Edd's cheek. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"N-no, I'm sure you have more important things to attend to." Edd said with a strained smile, trying not to eye the envelope a few feet away from him. Whatever smile that Kevin did have on his face vanished and was replaced with a tight frown.

"Edd...can we just talk now? I know you're really torn up about this." Kevin sighed and sat down at bar that overlooked the living room. Edd's jaw clenched as Kevin treated the subject so nonchalantly. Did Kevin even care that he was leaving for God knows how long? Although the teen did apologize to Edd earlier that day, it seemed to be forgotten at this point.

"Torn up?" Edd asked as he took his glasses off of his face and pinched the bridge of his nose tightly. "If by 'torn up' you actually mean utterly devastated, then yes. I am, indeed, torn up about the situation."

"'D, c'mon, please. We both want the same thing, we want to save lives. I thought you'd understand..." Kevin said, confusion riddled his forest green eyes.

Edd held back a scoff and turned his own eyes away to the window above the kitchen sink. "It _is_ true that we both want to achieve similar goals, but you were wrong to think I would understand. When someone you love willingly signs their life away to fight in a war, I-" Edd's voice caught in his throat and he closed his eyes tightly for a moment before turning to face his gorgeous lover. "I am _so_ scared and so proud. But the thought of something happening to you..." one of Edd's hands gripped the front of his shirt and the other held his face as he could no longer fight back the heavy feelings that had plagued him all day.

Kevin stood up and enveloped Edd into a comforting hug but couldn't stop the stinging in his eyes as at the thought of leaving his first love behind. "'D, can you just promise me something?"

"Anything." Edd said as his voice was thick with emotions.

Kevin tilted Edd's chin up so that he could meet the wide ocean eyes he loved so much. "Promise me...that you'll keep being you when I ship out. Don't get depressed. Don't cry. And know that I'll always come back to you in the end, no matter what. We're in love 'D and I plan to spend the rest of my life with you."

Edd was practically sobbing at Kevin's little speech. "K-Kevin, please don't."

"I signed up today. Those are just copies in the folder." Kevin continued as hold boyfriend continued to fall apart in his arms. He smoothed down the other teen's wild black hair and pressed a few kisses to the scars on his head. They stayed there like that for a while until Edd calmed himself down.

The smaller of the two backed away a little and and put his small hands on either side of Kevin's face. "I absolutely abhor the idea of you doing this...but you have all my support. I love you, but if you die out there, I'll use my paramedic skills to bring you back and kill you myself." Edd said with a broken smile.

Kevin returned it with a choked up laugh and pulled him in for a deep kiss. "I told you that I'll always come back to you. Have faith."

"I do." Edd said and pressed another kiss against Kevin's jaw as he stood on his tip toes. Edd felt his phone buzz in his back pocket and broke away. "Oh, it's Mother. It seems they're ready for me."

"'Kay. Grab your helmet, I'll go with you." Kevin said as he kissed Edd one more time before grabbing a sweatshirt to help protect him against the wind.

As the two rode into the city, Edd relished in the intoxicating smell of Kevin's cologne and the feel of his muscles as he pressed himself against them but couldn't ignore the lingering dread in the back of his mind.

Edd knew that their days were numbered.


	29. Enouement

Days seemed to fly by as the end of school drew nearer and Double D tried to be as supportive as he could be. He would put up a small smile whenever it was expected of him and Kevin seemed to take the bait, but even Ed seemed to catch on that something was definitely wrong with Double D.

Edd would count down the days until Kevin would take the oath to defend his country. Only another month and a half until Kevin would leave for what would seem for like forever, but the reality of it was a minimum of four years, _if_ that was all Kevin wanted to do. Edd prayed he didn't re-enlist when the time came but of course he had the option to come home for a little bit every six months, and Edd should have been grateful for that. Instead he felt selfish for wanting more.

At the moment he sat in his mother's office and stared into space she explained the differences of his new pills. Same AEDs with a twist of steroids and some experimental new drug they've apparently been testing in the labs. Mother swore up and down it was worth a try since his tumor had grown again. Edd had suspected this once a pins-and-needles sensation had settled in his fingers.

Edd scowled at his fidgeting digits, why couldn't he have just a single moment of peace in his life? Every few weeks something terrible would happen to him, and the rest of the time was filled with ignorant school drama. Three weeks ago a cheerleader had cornered the short teen about his relationship with the handsome athlete, she was pissed it had been him instead of her. Edd understood of course, who could have thought that the Homecoming King would have chosen _him_ instead of any of the girls that threw themselves at him. It was a mystery to the entire student body and whenever anyone would ask Kevin, he would simply give a smile as the answer. No one was satisfied with that.

Suddenly a similar set of tiny hands covered his twitching ones and he met the eyes of his mother. Christine was kneeling down on the ground with a deep frown set on her face. "Eddward, are you alright?"

Edd put up a strained smile and nodded. "I'm fine, my hands are the ones who're unwell." he said as he held up his delicate twitching fingers.

"Oh, Edd...why didn't you tell me?" he said and immediately grabbed a hold of his hands to steady them.

"I know, Mother. I know there's nothing you can do about this."

She bowed her head and sniffed, lifting it back up once she calmed her nerves. "Have you tried exercises? I've had patients who play piano and their coordination lasted much longer-"

"Mom." Edd said sternly as he stopped his mother mid-rant. "It's merely a twitch. I swear to let you know when the time comes that I need assistance."

"Assistance...as in assisted living? Edd, do you wish to live your life in hospice once you...?"

Edd stopped her with a shake of his head. "No. When the time comes where my life is at crossroads, I will be damned if I don't go down fighting. I refuse to be put in a home for the terminally ill."

"I doubt Kevin would let that happen anyways." Christine said with a tearful smile, she so proud of how brave her little Eddward turned out to be.

Edd's stern face gave way to a deep frown once his boyfriend was mentioned. "Speaking of Kevin, I need to tell you something about him." Edd took a deep breath and folded his hands into his lap tensely. "He's going into the military in less than two months. I told him we'd be there on the day he takes his oath."

Christine's tears came back for round two once she heard the news.

...

Kevin was lounging on Nazz's couch watching a movie while Edd spent some time with his mother. He didn't say what they were doing, but the red-head knew they had gotten quite close so he wasn't worried at all.

"So how'd Double D take the news?" Nazz asked as she came into the room with a bowl of chips and a few sodas.

Kevin paused as he went to grab a soda and frowned. "He's...he's trying to be supportive."

"Go on." the blonde said as she turned down the volume on the TV and gave him her full attention.

Kevin leaned back in his chair and sighed. "He says he's proud of me, but I know Edd wants me to stay. He's been really depressed about it lately but he tries to hide it from me like I won't notice."

"Of course he has. Everyone has, we just hide it better because we don't live with you." she said and popped a chip into her mouth nonchalantly.

Kevin paused again and pursed his lips for a moment before finally cracking open his soda. "Right. I knew everyone was acting a little too happy..." he mumbled and his phone started blaring from the coffee table, making both of the teens jump. "Oh, it's Mom..." Kevin sighed, flipping the phone open and putting it on speaker. "Sup Mom?"

 _"Kevin Alexander Barr! Please tell me what Eddward said isn't true! If so, you're in so much trouble!"_ a woman shrieked from the other end of the phone, Kevin fumbled the phone a little and immediately took it off speaker.

"What? He told you? I mean-yes. Yeah Mom, I'm sorry. Yeah, I promise. He what? The fuck? Sorry, sorry. I'm on my way. Yeah, love you too."

Nazz raised her eyebrows as high as they could go after Kevin snapped the phone shut. "I gotta go, sorry Nazz..." Kevin said as he got up from the comfortable chair and practically jogged to the front door. The cheerleader caught up to him and sighed.

"Talk to me later, okay?"

Kevin nodded, already halfway out the door. If he was later than the time Christine thought he should have arrived at, Kevin would never hear the end of it. Quickly, he jumped onto his motorcycle and sped off towards his destination.

...

Christine had ended up dragging Edd to the lobby where a grand piano resided. Edd inwardly groaned as she pulled a wet wipe out of her lab coat pocket and quickly sanitized the keys before gently shoving her son down on the stool.

"Go on." she said with a small smile and placed her hands on his stiff shoulders. "I know it's been a while, but you'll be just fine."

"This is hardly necessary, Mother."

Edd went to stand up but the woman quickly shoved him back down by the shoulders. "It is. Would you like to be able to use your hands in a year or not?"

The ravenette pursed his lips and sighed before placing his trembling fingers hesitantly over the ivory keys. When he was younger, learning to play the piano had been a fun hobby of his until he got sick the first time. He remembered how it felt when his fingers fumbled over the keys as the muscle weakness really settled into his body and he shut the piano for the last time knowing he had wasted his last chance to play on some redundant essay for school. The memory haunted him.

Slowly, he began to plunk away at the keys. It sounded rough at first as he was forcing himself to remember all the lessons he took as a child. Notes eventually turned into chords, forming measures and lines of music that Edd ingeniously created at that same moment. Christine closed her eyes and swayed a little to Edd's haunting melody.

It started out slow, but eventually picked up into something Christine could only call impressive as he hadn't played in years. Edd just barely hummed out the melody as his fingers danced across the keys, finally finding peace.

A little into the song, Edd noticed another person step forward to listen, but didn't look up as he was totally engrossed in his work.

 _Everybody loves the things you do. From the way you talk, to the way you move._

 _Everybody here is watching you. Cause you feel like home, you're like a dream come true._

 _But if by chance you're here alone, can I have a moment-_

 _Before I go?_

* * *

Here's the link to the Edd's melody- watch?v=CNyQB7Cj2RQ

In my EEnE universe, When We Were Young hasn't been written by Adele yet. Just think of it as a mere coincidence that the two are the same so many years apart.

Also, don't own the video in the link. Absolutely nothing is mine anywhere except this here story. 'Tis all I have.


	30. I'm Not Okay (I Promise)

Author's Note: I keep having all these ideas of the Eds being in a punk-rock band together. Big Ed would play the drums, Eddy would be the bass and my Double D would play the lead. Remember 88 Fingers Eddward? If Edd can play the steel pedal guitar with his feet, he could play some mean electric guitar solos.

 **Also the end of this chapter is rated M!**

* * *

After Kevin discovered Edd's incredible gift for music, the day turned sour as he had his talk with Christine. There was a lot of crying and incoherent words as Kevin tried to get it in her head that yes, this was happening and he'd come back every chance he got. Kevin sat her on the couch in her office while she cried and sat next to her. "It's not forever, okay? It'll be alright."

She merely nodded with her head in her hands. Kevin looked at Edd for support, but he was leaning against the far wall tugging on his fingers as if he were nervous. A strange look had smeared itself across his face. "Edd, are you okay?" Kevin asked, his arms tightening a little around Christine's shoulders, making the older woman look up at her son as well.

Edd's quickly turned his attention to the two people sitting on the couch and gave a tired smile. "Me? Yes, I'm fine."

Kevin was surprised as Christine started to sob harder, all her emotions were hitting her at once. "Oh, god! My boys..." she sobbed back into her hands. Edd rubbed his face harshly with both hands and pushed himself off the wall, going over to kneel in front of his mother.

"Mom." he said in a hushed voice, gently prying her hands away from her face. "Remember what I told you earlier? What did I say?"

Christine sniffed once but remained quiet. "I'll be damned." he said for her which caused her to smile a little at her son's curse. It sounded foreign coming from his pale lips.

...

"Hey Babe?"

Edd's ears perked up as he heard his name. "Hm?" he hummed, not looking away from his book.

"Are ya feelin' better? You haven't gotten sick yet and it's like, almost nine." Kevin asked as he grabbed a soda from the kitchen and flopped down on the couch.

"Oh, yes." Edd smiled and set his his book down on the coffee table. "I got another new prescription today, it's much better than the last batch."

Kevin sighed happily as Edd ran his fingers through his long bangs. "That's good. Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

Edd giggled. "Everyday. Why?"

Kevin sat up to face Edd on the couch. "Because." he placed a long kiss on the smaller teen's lips. "I know you've been tryin' real hard to be happy and support me even though you're sad. It means a lot Edd, thank you."

Edd's smile faded a little as he looked up at Kevin and took a moment to appreciate the man before him. It was strange how Edd never saw him as a soldier until a week ago and now it was so blatantly obvious. This is who Kevin is, who he always has been and it broke Edd's heart.

"I'd do anything for you." Edd said quietly, pulling at his fingers to stop the movement.

"Will you tell me what's wrong then?" Kevin said after a moment of deliberation and leaned his side into the fluffy couch.

Edd froze and squeezed his hands together. "What? Nothing's wrong."

Kevin scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Y'know since we live together I figured you'd tell me the truth."

"I-uhm..." Edd mumbled and looked down at the hands that didn't even feel like his own anymore. If Edd was honest with himself, the trembling wasn't that bad. He would fumble with his utensils such as pencils and forks when he held them but that was it. However the memories from his last relapse kept him on edge about the mere numbness in his hands.

Edd held out a trembling hand to his love. "Look."

"Is that like, low blood sugar? Or what?" Kevin asked as he leaned his face on his hand for support. Edd pursed his lips and pulled his open palm into a fist.

"It's...yeah. I haven't been eating right lately, I suppose." Edd sighed and laid his hand down on his thigh.

Kevin debated his boyfriend's words for a moment. It seemed about right as Edd was a little depressed about his impeding leave and Kevin knew he sometimes forgot to eat when he was stressed. "I can fix that." he said and leaned in for a kiss.

Despite Kevin's ignorance to his situation, Edd couldn't fight the smile that crept onto his face at the innuendo as he melted into the kiss. All too soon, the red-head pulled back with a smile. "I'll order a pizza, fill you up, and then get you some sugar. 'Kay?"

Edd managed a smile at his partner before he trotted off to call the nearest delivery place. Slowly, he pulled himself off of the couch and made his way over to the bathroom. Once he was inside, Edd promptly cranked the faucet on and let an agonizing sob rip through his throat. Why did he have to be so passive about the subject with Kevin? His sickness seemed so insignificant compared to the war being waged in Afghanistan at the moment.

The pale teen raised his head to look up at his reflection in the mirror. His face held red blotches from crying and the bags under his eyes never seemed to go away. Edd stood up straight and took a deep breath to regulate his breathing and blood pressure, wiping any traces of tears he could find.

Edd waited until his bloodshot eyes turned clear again to go out and live his lie.

 **...**

After the pizza was gone the two boys retreated back to their room. Edd tugged Kevin's clothes off with the need to forget and the athlete let it happen with glee.

Now Kevin was looming over the thin teen with a hunger in his eyes. Edd couldn't help the heated blush that danced across his face as his eyes wandered across the sculpted chest that hovered above his own. Why did Kevin have to be so perfect compared to himself? Edd's lean figure had begun to fade away as he had no reason to bulk up anymore paired with the fact that he was so busy with his mother and spending time with his love. Now he was left with an almost scrawny fame.

Kevin on the other hand, had begun working out more than he ever had before. His once softening abs were now rock hard and the six slices of pizza he had earlier did nothing to deter that.

Edd shuddered a little as warm kisses were places just behind his ear to the base of his throat. One of Kevin's hands had weaved itself through Edd's shaggy black hair and tugged lightly in time with little nips here and there. Pale hands found their way to the waistband of Kevin's boxers and dipped his fingertips underneath the elastic band, relishing in the feel of the smooth skin. Kevin smirked against Edd's skin and chomped down particularly hard on his shoulder. Edd shrieked out of surprise and raked his nails up the other's back harshly leaving red welts behind. "K-Kevin!" he gasped, looking at the culprit with wide eyes.

"Just a love bite." the red-head said with a smirk and ducked his head back down to the feverish skin and gifted Edd with a few more of his so-called "love bites" much to his boyfriend's chagrin. After another moment or two, Kevin retreated from Edd's bruised neck and fumbled and he leaned over to open the drawer in the nightstand by the bed. He quickly snatched the small bottle of lube and pushed the drawer closed, simultaneously shoving his tongue in the ravenette's mouth.

Kevin set the bottle to the side for the moment and moseyed his long fingers down to Edd's entrance. Edd bit the athlete's bottom lip and sucked it between the gap of his teeth when he felt one, and then two fingers slip themselves inside of him. Edd gripped the long auburn locks in a fist as he started to squirm under Kevin's touch. The fingers stretched him out slowly, almost driving him mad from impatience. Edd could have smacked Kevin over the head when he inserted a third finger and became to tease him mercilessly. "Kevin..." he said, his voice holding an unsaid warning. Kevin needed to hurry the fuck up.

Kevin smiled against Edd's mouth and let out a deep chuckle. "Impatient much?"

"Extremely." Edd growled as he arched his back as Kevin reeled back and pressed a hand to his lower stomach, a thumb pressing into a sensitive spot by his hip bone. When he closed his eyes, Edd shivered a little as he felt the cool substance touch his skin. Kevin slathered a generous amount over himself and Edd.

The red-head reached out and steadied Edd's trembling hand, lacing their fingers together as he positioned himself over his love. "Why can't you tell me what's really going on in your head?"

Edd peered through his lashes to look at Kevin, only to see a troubled face. "Kev-Ah!" Edd gasped loudly as Kevin thrusted into him suddenly. Edd hooked a leg around the slim waist and cried out once more as his walls clamped down on Kevin, making the other moan lowly. The sound was music to his ears and vice versa.

"We can't avoid this forever, Edd. We need to talk. No more running."

"Is this really-AH! T-the time?!" the smaller teen squeaked through his pleasure, his hand slid from the ruffled auburn hair to the strong shoulder before him.

Kevin gripped Edd's hips tightly and shoved himself directly into Edd's sweet spot roughly. They both began to see stars as their highs intensified. "Yes."

Edd took a ragged breath and tried to focus on his love. "I wish...you would stay-AH! S-stay for me!"

Kevin moved his hands away from the sensitive hips and pulled Edd up into his lap in one swift move. "I may not always be in the same place as you...but we'll still _always_ be together."

Edd felt the tears pour down his face suddenly as Kevin moved him in a steady rhythm with his strong arms. "I l-love you Kev. You can't leave me yet, I'm not ready."

Kevin felt his heart clench painfully as the love of his life fell apart on his shoulder. "I love you too Babe, and I'd do anything to prove to you that you're still my everything." he said through a strained voice, he was reaching his climax as Edd moved up and down on him at a fast pace.

Edd let out a whine as he felt his insides coil tightly and release suddenly as Kevin bore into him as hard as he could. "Then please..." he whispered into the crook of Kevin's neck, all his energy spent.

"I will." Kevin huffed, laying Edd back down on the rumpled sheets. A few stray tears ran across Edd's cheeks.

The soldier placed a passionate kiss on Edd's lips and then pulled back to look at the oceanic eyes he loved so much. "When I come back home, I'm gonna marry you."


	31. Passing Days

Author's Note: I just put up a Kevedd one-shot today! Go check it out!

Also go check out **dshell99** 's one-shot **Claimed**. It slayed me to pieces!

* * *

Graduation had come and gone quickly much to Edd's dismay. He briefly recalled watching Kevin walk up and receive his diploma and his mother cheering as loud as she could for her adopted son without making a complete fool of herself. Speeches were given, parents sobbed, and hats were thrown into the air and everyone cheered for the graduates.

Ed and May put forth their plan to open up a vintage comic book store with support from all their friends. Edd had been so caught up in his own life that he had no idea that Ed and May had reached a platonic impasse in their friendship, let alone that they were friends at all, but Edd and Eddy still supported them fiercely.

Lee and Eddy decided to stay in Peach Creek and work on their complicated relationship together. After three years of a friends-with-benefits relationship, both had agreed that enough was enough and decided to give dating a try. Edd knew of Eddy's rendezvous with Lee, but was absolutely delighted with his decision to court the spunky red-head.

Nazz and Marie were leaving together much to everyone's surprise except Edd's. The blue-haired girl had confided in him that the cheer captain had been pining over her for the better part of six months. Saying she had a boyfriend to protect her status in school similarly like Kevin had did, but instead of coming out to everyone, the two kept it their own little secret. Now they were moving in together for college.

When people asked where the smartest kid in school was going, most thought Yale or Harvard, but Edd shot down their guesses. Edd had already started his EMT coursework weeks ago after learning to manage his shaking hands through exercises. Many were shocked and asked why, but Edd kept the honest explanation to himself and merely said he wanted to save lives.

No one asked about Kevin's plans. Instead, all his teammates from every team he was in whisked him away for one last get together. Edd agreed to let him go but made Kevin promised to be home before Edd woke up in the morning. They shared a kiss in front of the entire student body and then he walked away with the crowd of athletes.

That night Edd invited all the Eds and all the Kankers over to his house for movies and pizza. It was quite a nice experience much to Edd's surprise. No one argued, no one was forced to make out with each other, it was just a nice time with all of his friends. "So how long until you get to drive an ambulance?" Eddy asked, shoving a few pretzels in his mouth.

"I don't _plan_ on driving the vehicle Eddy," Edd giggled and took a drink of his soda. "I've only put in about eighty hours so far."

Eddy raised an eyebrow. "Out of how many?"

"I need twelve-hundred, minimum." Edd deadpanned as Marie settled her head in her best friend's lap happily.

Eddy spit out his soda and Edd grimaced as his pristine carpet absorbed the sticky liquid. "Jesus!"

"You'll get it knocked out before you know it 'D, don't be so down." Lee chimed in as she cleaned up Eddy's soda mess. Edd gave her a gracious smile and started to twist little braids into Marie's hair absently.

"So are you gonna do anything special for Kev before he leaves? When is that by the way?"

Edd rubbed a hand over his face at Marie's question but couldn't find it in his heart to scowl down at her. "I want to, but I can't think of a good idea on what to do, and he leaves next week."

"Well you already got him a house, it's pretty hard to top that." May said from her seat on the floor as she combed her chubby fingers through Ed's short hair. The others chuckled at the comment but made no effort to provide ideas to the situation.

"You should get a tattoo or somethin'." Marie finally suggested, the others immediately reacted to the idea in such a positive manner that Edd thought they had lost their minds.

"Good lord! Absolutely not!" Edd spat but it didn't deter the others, they just pressed on. They each provided ideas about which type of tattoo to get and where to get it placed. Edd didn't even try to argue with them as it seemed that they were doing this with or without his consent.

"What about an anniversary tattoo?" Lee suggested, causing a chorus of "oohs" to echo throughout the room.

"But get it on your ring finger so Kev _knows_ you're serious about him." Marie said with a smug look on her face, tracing lines on where Edd would wear an eventual wedding ring.

Edd sighed. "Marie, he already knows!"

"But this would blow him away! Just picture it, it's his last day and you go get your tattoo real quick- a twenty minute thing! Then he notices your hand and sees that you've permanently made him a part of your life, literally etched into your skin. He'll cry like a bitch for sure."

Edd smiled a little at Marie's excited explanation and stared at his own finger as he tried to imagine the black ink staining his hand forever.

 _IX-XX-VII_

 _Vincent-Barr_

It was perfect.

...

Kevin came home very late that night as it was almost two in the morning when he stumbled through the front door. Edd was already curled up in bed when he heard the heavy footsteps in the hallway. "Kev?" Edd called, sitting up in bed with the blanket still clutched to his chest. He jumped a little when the bedroom door swung open, hitting the closet on the other side with a little too much force behind it.

"Hey, babe..." Kevin slurred as he fumbled with his shirt and threw it on the floor along with his pants and fell into the bed heavily. Edd glared at his love as the smell of booze and smoke began to fill the room from Kevin's abandoned clothes.

"You smell terrible." Edd said lowly as he got out of bed and snatched the dirty clothes off of the floor and padded towards the laundry room in the back of the house. Edd stifled a yawn as he shoved the lid to the washer open and tossed the clothes in, dousing them in a generous amount of detergent before heading back to his bedroom.

To his surprise, the red-head was still awake and waiting for Edd to return. When their eyes met, Kevin gave a lopsided grin. "Sorry..." he mumbled and held a hand out to his love.

Edd gave a tired half-smile and accepted the hand, allowing himself to be pulled into bed. "I can't believe you got drunk."

Kevin giggled and pulled his love into a sloppy kiss. "Yeah, me neither!"

Edd grimaced against the alcohol-stained tongue that invaded his mouth and began to shove Kevin away by putting his small hands to the other's chest. "Ugh, you taste like beer..."

"Don't be mad, I'm sorry." Kevin slurred and decided to bury his face into the crook of Edd's neck instead of ravishing him with kisses like he had originally planned.

"I...I'm not mad." Edd sighed and settled back against the headboard of the bed as he ran his fingers through the messy auburn hair.

"Really?"

Edd nodded with closed eyes. "Really, and if I were to be in your shoes, I would've done the same thing. I don't know how you manage to be so brave. You _are_ an impressive man, Mr. Barr."

Kevin giggled again and hugged his boyfriend close. "That's what people used to call my grandpa! You think I'm old, don't you?"

Edd scoffed and shoved Kevin's head a little. "Kevin, you're only older than me by four months, please!"

"The two laughed for a moment but it quickly lapsed into comfortable silence. "I'll miss you when you go..." Edd said quietly, looking down at the mess of red hair that rested on his shoulder.

"Don't be sad 'D..." Kevin said in an almost childlike voice before Edd felt Kevin slump over on his side of the bed and start to snore loudly.

"I can't help it." Edd said to himself in the dark room he would soon be sleeping all alone in.

...

Kevin awoke the next morning with a massive hangover. Edd was already downstairs cooking as Kevin inhaled the sweet smells that wafted down the hallway. As the teen went to get out of bed, he noticed a small note with a bottle of Advil and a glass of water next to it. Kevin smiled at the sweet gesture and popped some pills into his mouth without water as he unfolded the note.

 _Kevin,_

 _You are an absolute imbecile._

 _Don't you dare forget the water, I know you. Drink it._

 _I love you despite your new alcoholic tendencies._

 _Edd_

Kevin scoffed and set the lovely note back on the nightstand and snatched the water before he shuffled out of the bedroom. He quickly downed the water in a few gulps before settling his sights on the gorgeous man that stood at the stove with a concentrated look on his face.

Kevin sauntered over to his love and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. "Morning Babe, what's cookin'?"

"I'm making omelets, hopefully you won't-" Edd stopped speaking once his boyfriend had run off with one hand over his mouth and the other clutching his stomach. "Get too nauseous..." Edd finished his sentence with little humor and he turned back to the stove and turned the burner off. He moved the omelet to a plate before dumping the pan in the sink and washing his hands.

Confusion filtered through his features as his skin became soft and started to fall off of his fingers and palms in patches, leaving the sensitive dermis layer exposed. "What the fuck?" Edd yelled as his skin continued to peel off, be backed away into the island and cradled his hands to his chest as he tried to connect the dots. He must have burnt his hands on the metal handle of the pan. Yes, that had to have been what happened.

He gazed at his blistered and bloody fingers as he silently cursed himself for getting so careless. Edd also took a moment to curse his tumor for stealing his sense of touch for that moment when he was using the stove.

"Edd? Did you curse?"Kevin yelled as he ran into the kitchen only to see his boyfriend throwing away the pan he had been using.

Edd then gripped his bloody hands to his chest and ran around Kevin to the bathroom where the first aid kit resided. "Edd?!" Kevin yelled again as he ran after the teen. "Edd-what the fuck?!" Kevin saw the terribly burnt hands of his love and snatched the familiar white box from underneath the sink. "Sit." he commanded, pointing to the edge of the tub.

Edd lowered his gaze and did as he was told and offered out his hands when Kevin pursed his lips at him. "How the hell did you manage to burn yourself so bad?"

Edd didn't flinch at the harsh tone, but kept his mouth shut and kept his eyes on the far corner of the room. "Edd." Kevin said sternly, grabbing him by the chin and forcing their eyes to meet.

"I-um-I..."

"Spit it out."

Edd blinked back some unknown emotion as fingers continued to grip his chin harshly. "I didn't feel it."

Kevin almost scoffed in Edd's face but then saw the tears beginning to form in his wide blue eyes. "You...didn't feel it?"

Edd bit his bottom lip and shook his head as Kevin continued to tend to his burns. "I didn't know it had gotten this bad..."

Kevin paled as he saw the tears spilling from his love's eyes. "Edd, no." Kevin shook his head as his own tears threatened to fall.

"I'm sorry." Edd sobbed. God, he cried so much lately.

A few tears fell down Kevin's face as realization dawned on him. "You're getting sick again, aren't you?"

Edd merely sobbed into his wrists.


	32. This Isn't Goodbye

Author's Note: ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT. I put on my "FRESH" snapback, turned it backwards and I'm ready to slay!

I know that **KM** was wondering about the climax, so let me just say that this story is gonna have a _Grey's Anatomy_ feel to it. There drama will always keep coming, every chance I get. Be wary my children. Darkness looms near.

Here's to 99 reviews! I love everyone of you guys. Thank you for staying with my story thus far, and to all those who've been following along quietly, I thank you so much. The reviews have truly been the highlights of the month that I've been doing this. If anyone has written a fanfiction and struggled with confidence, they know that a value of a single positive review is tremendous. There were a few times I thought about giving up this story, but then I'd get an e-mail saying that someone had loved it and would ask me to continue. Some literally brought tears to my eyes.

 _ **I feel so important thanks to all of you.**_

 _Goodbye my Lover_ by James Blunt.

 _Tiny Dancer_ by Elton John.

 _The Scientist_ by Coldplay.

* * *

A week had come and gone all too quickly and it was the morning of Kevin's induction. Edd was determined to keep it together for his love so he put on his best tough front as he zipped the large duffle bag closed and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. They still had an hour before they needed to leave, but Edd wanted to make sure that Kevin was absolutely ready to go when the time came.

The week had gone by thankfully without another incident with Edd's hands much to the boys' relief. His hands were now bandaged expertly by his mother. The look on her face still burned into the back of his mind once he told her the new symptoms. It was like reliving a nightmare for the both of them for this had already happened to Edd once already. The numbness and twitching in his hands were not new to them. So when he told Christine that he lost all feeling in his hands for a moment, she didn't cry. Christine merely nodded with a deep frown and cleaned her son's wounds dutifully.

As Edd continued to look at his hands that looked akin to that of a mummy's, he couldn't help but smirk at the little surprise that waited for Kevin underneath. He planned on showing his love the declaration of love that morning, but he needed to get everything ready for Kevin first.

 _"Marie, I can't believe I'm doing this."_

 _She let out a hearty laugh and slung an arm around his shoulders. "Don't worry, me and Skipper are gonna be here the whole time! We got your back, dude."_

 _Edd glanced over at his other best friend who had his hands shoved deep in his pockets per the norm. "She's right Double D. There's really nothin' to worry about. I got one a few months ago, it didn't hurt that bad. See?" Eddy said and pulled up his shirt sleeve just enough to reveal a small tribal tattoo. It looked rather nice if Edd did say so himself._

 _The ravenette merely mumbled something incoherent as they stepped into the parlor. Soon Edd was seated in a chair with his friends right by his side as the artist prepped his equipment. "So what're we getting today?" the woman asked, her bright red hair pulled high into a messy bun._

 _"I'm getting an anniversary date on my ring finger. My friend drew out the design for you." Edd said and then motioned for Marie to pull out the small paper out of her bag._

 _The woman smiled kindly at the paper and then at Edd. "That's so sweet! Is there a reason she's not here with you, or..?"_

 _Edd chuckled and leaned his head against the chair. "It's a he, actually. And I'm getting our anniversary tattooed on my finger because he's leaving for the military in a few days. He promised we'd get married when he came back for good, so I'm merely meeting him halfway."_

 _The woman's bottom lip clenched a little and she blinked rapidly, looking up at the bright lights. "Oh man. That's so romantic. You slay him boy. You slay his soldier heart."_

 _Edd eyed the large needle as it neared his left hand. "Marie, can you hold my hand down?"_

 _"Edd, if you're scared-"_

 _"Just do it Marie." Edd commanded, earning a strange look from his friend._

 _"Yeah, sure. Okay." she said, noticing his hand trembling in sort of an unnatural way. Eddy noticed as well and swallowed the lump in his throat. He knew Edd, he knew._

 _Eddy grabbed Edd's right hand in both of his for support. Edd winced as the needle pierced his skin._

...

"Kevin."

The redhead turned around in his charcoal grey suit that Edd had ironed to perfection. Edd stood in between the kitchen and the living room with a small smile plastered to his face, he held his hands together near his stomach.

"Edd."

Edd could have died right at that moment because of how absolutely handsome Kevin looked at this moment. "I love you." he breathed.

"I love you too, Edd...?" Kevin said, taking a step closer and let the look of confusion smear across his face as Edd began to unwrap the bandages from his hand.

"I love you," Edd repeated with a small smile. "now, forever- always. I can't even begin to describe all the ways that I love you so. You're incredible devotion, your smile, your bravery...I'd be lying if I said that I didn't fall in love you a little more every day. So when you leave to serve our country today, just know that I'll always be here for you. I'll be waiting for you until the day you decide to return home, because I love you."

Kevin shook a little and placed a hand over his mouth as Edd continued his speech.

"And when we get married, God, I can't wait. I'd be the luckiest man on Earth if you became my husband. I'd cry, I'm sure. You know me...but it's true, so I'll wait. I don't care how many years it takes for you to make me your husband, I'll wait."

Kevin blinked back tears, glancing down as the bandages continued to hit the floor.

"And I want to have children with you. I want a little girl with the reddest hair you can imagine and I would love her to death because she would be _ours_. I want to be a father with you. I...I want to make a family with you." Edd took a steadying breath. "So here I am, standing in the middle of _our_ house, declaring my love for you, and to only you. You're my everything Kevin. And so what if we don't have rings to promise us to each other? That doesn't matter. I just need you to know, from the absolute bottom on my heart, that you will always be a part of my life and I to you, 'til death do us part. I love you."

Kevin let out a broken sob as Edd stepped forward and held out his left hand to him. Green eyes traced their way across the scarring skin to the blaring black marks that rested on Edd's ring finger just where his wedding ring would be.

 _IX-XX-VII_

 _Vincent-Barr_

Edd turned his hand over to reveal that on the other side of his ring finger were two tiny linked hearts.

"Y-you got a tattoo? For me? I-" Kevin couldn't find the words as he sobbed heavily and pulled his future husband into a tight hug.

"I would do anything for you. You're my everything."

"God, I love you so much. I want to have a family with you Edd, you'd be the most amazing dad. I can't wait to come home, settle down and have at least seven kids with you." Kevin blubbered as he held onto his love and placed feverish kisses to his mouth over and over again.

Edd let out his own broken sob and placed a hand over Kevin's that rested over his cheek. "Seven? I can do seven..."

Kevin broke away and set his tearful gaze back on Edd's permanent declaration to him. The skin was still red and just beginning to flake off so he knew it was fresh. "How long do we have?" Edd asked as he watched Kevin trace the black marks on his finger. Kevin turned his head to look at the clock on the wall and sighed.

"Fifteen minutes."

Edd sniffled but blinked the sadness away. "We should go then."

...

The oath that Kevin took was both long and short at the same time. Edd and Christine held each other's hands as they watched the beloved son and ex-athlete sign his life away for his country.

Edd didn't shed a single tear, instead, he tried his hardest to smile proudly for his love.

When everything was said and done, Kevin was immediately scheduled to ship out for training so the mother and son duo had only a few minutes to say their goodbyes.

Christine stepped up first and pulled Kevin into a tight hug. "I know I'm not your actual Mom, but I still love you as if you were my real son. I'm so, _so_ proud of you Kevin."

Kevin looked at this woman with sad eyes. Edd's mother, the woman whom he had hated with a passion so many months ago was now so dear to him. She had talked Kevin through all his problems and insecurities regarding anything and everything. He wrapped his arms around the petite woman and buried his head in her hair. "You've been as good of a mom to me as my own was. I love you Ma. Thanks for welcoming me into your family."

Christine sobbed and kissed him on the cheek. "Come home safe okay? I love you too."

Next it was Edd's turn, the inevitable goodbye that had been plaguing his mind for months had finally been placed right in front of him. The two stared at each other for a moment before Kevin stepped forward and kissed Edd just like it was the first time.

"I love you so much. Don't be sad, okay? Remember what I said? Make sure you eat enough, I know how you forget when you're stressed. I'll video chat with you as much as I can, and I'll try to get home to you as often as I can. And Edd?"

"Yeah Kev?" he said, his voice just above a whisper as Edd linked his fingers with the soldier's.

"I know you're getting worse, I can see it in your eyes. The burns, the trembling, all the pills...but," Kevin swallowed a thick lump in his throat, this needed to be said. "you need to keep fighting so that we can finally start our little family. I can't do this without you. I can't live in this world without you in it."

Edd's eyes burned with such ferocity as he listened to Kevin's heart wrenching words. He pulled his soldier into a gentle final kiss.

"I refuse to leave this life unfinished. I won't let death rip us apart."


	33. Unexpected

Author's Note: GOD. That was rough, sorry everyone.

I spent an hour on the phone with technical support today over a cashless, I missed my meeting, had to rotate everything the entire cooler, and ended up dropping a box of shake mix on my foot when I saw that **dshell99** had posted a new story. Twas a great day. Not.

So if you go on my Tumblr, I've started doing kevedd sketches and **dshell** 's been reblogging the crap out of them! Same name. I just uploaded a picture of army Kev a few minutes ago. Follow and reblog if you want to have a bad time.

And thanks for all your wonderful reviews! I cried, you all make me feel so loved and I love you all in return. You guys have no idea how much it means to me.

 _7 years_ -Lukas Graham (Kevin to Edd)

* * *

For the next couple weeks, Edd buried himself in his EMT courses. No one mentioned the certain red-head that had left a gaping hole in Edd's life.

The ravenette's house was painfully quiet and empty. There were no more hushed voices, quiet giggles, or cries to God in the dead of night. There was only Edd and the fluttering of pages from his textbook. Sometimes he would turn on football to make it seem like Kevin was home with him, but it simply wasn't the same. The house he once adored became cold and a painful reminder that his love was no longer beside him, so Edd picked up a job along the internship he had going on with the hospital's EMT program (thanks to Christine) to help fill in the gaps in his life. In addition, Marie had offered to take Edd out for one more tattoo trip before her and Nazz left for the west coast. It had started out as a joke at first, but Marie was surprised when he agreed without protest.

"Are you sure you want to do this Edd? I was kinda joking when I asked if you wanted another one..." Marie chuckled as they walked down the sidewalk to the only tattoo parlor in town.

Edd stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "I admired the way Veronica sanitized her equipment. I put my mind at ease about skin infections. Besides...I kind of like the way the ink looks on my fair skin."

"Really? I thought you'd be permanently put off by needles after the first one. You're an interesting one for sure, Mr. Vincent." Marie mused and pulled her designs from her satchel and began looking over each of them with much thought. "I can't decide on any of these. I like all of them."

Edd hummed and tapped the paper with the mandala on it. "Get this one, I like the flower design, it's pretty."

Marie scoffed and folded the papers back in her bag. "You're such a fairy. Of course you'd pick the flower."

Edd rolled his eyes and puffed out his cheeks. "Whatever you say Marie."

An hour later, both Marie and Edd were lying on their stomachs as the artists, Veronica and Marshall, worked on outlines. Marie went with the mandala flower design that Edd had picked out and decided to have it placed on the base of her neck.

After looking at quite a few books, Edd had decided on a cluster of large roses on his left shoulder, placing it so that it was completely hidden under his shirt. No one needed to see his funny little hobby.

Marie scoffed from her spot as she eyed the peaceful expression on Edd's face as the needle drilled into him. "Are you actually enjoying this?"

Edd smirked and rested his head on his arms, sighing when Veronica took a short break. "No, it just...for some reason, tattoos remind me of Kevin. I keep picturing the look on his face when I showed him the one on my finger."

Marie moved her head a little once Marshall took his short break. "Is that why you're getting another tattoo? Because you know Kev'll like it?"

Edd closed his eyes. "I suppose so. He always said he liked tattoos, though I never even dreamed of doing this. It's quite...relaxing."

"You're so weird. I love it." Marie giggled and reached out her hand to Edd.

Edd grabbed her hand tightly and gazed at her through sad eyes. "I'm really going to miss your company Marie."

"Really?"

Edd scoffed and looked away. "You're one of my best friends. So yes."

"Okay, okay! No need to get snippy with me. Same here 'D. Thanks for being my fake boyfriend in high school. If you didn't do it we might not be where we are right now."

"No." Edd mused and heard Veronica set down in her seat and gave Marie's hand one final squeeze. "I suppose not."

Marie and Nazz left three days later to start their new life.

...

It had been about three months since the oath where Edd had last seen Kevin. There were no video chats, no calls, could they even make calls? Edd wasn't sure but there was no contact and it was tearing the young man apart. It had been a long day him as well, so between the mental anguish and physical exhaustion, Edd was ready to lay in his bed until the next day for work.

Sighing, he turned off the car and slowly got out. Edd had finally gotten his EMT uniform that consisted of black slacks and a white shirt with a bright blue Star of Life patch sewn on each arm of his shirt. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows which bore black marks as his little hobby grew steadily into an addiction. Edd simply couldn't help himself anymore once he would set his eyes on a design. If he liked it enough, he would wear it forever. However Edd knew that once his future husband was back in his arms, the tattoos would stop. They were merely helping to fill the holes in his heart. Edd didn't quite understand why, but they helped.

Edd was quick as he slid the key in the door and pushed the heavy thing open. The plush bed was practically calling his name.

"Hey you."

Edd could barely hear his keys hit the floor. His ears could only hear the sound of his heartbeat and his eyes grew blurry at the sight before him. "Oh God," he gasped, covering his mouth with his hands.

In the middle of the entryway stood the most handsome soldier with his toned arms outstretched wide, as if _he_ were the one welcoming Edd home. He couldn't help but let his eyes travel over the man before him. The camouflage pants and tan boots all tied together by the tight shirt and dog tags made the dream real.

"Kev," Edd whispered and practically threw himself at the man. "God, I missed you so much! Why didn't you tell me you were coming home?!" Edd sobbed angrily, mad that he hadn't met his love at the airport with flowers like he always thought he would.

Kevin chuckled and buried his lips in Edd's beanie. "I wanted it to be a surprise..."

"Well done." Edd said, burying his face in the tan shirt that was snug around Kevin's strong chest. After a moment of simply holding each other, Edd looked up to meet the forest green eyes that had been missing for a quarter of a year.

Kevin was no longer the cocky athlete he was in high school, but a calm, confident young man who was capable of doing extraordinary things. He had a tad more muscle than he did before and the mess of auburn hair was now a military style buzz cut. "You're breathtaking..." Edd whispered, still in shock that his love was standing right there, in his arms. Kevin was finally home.

Kevin blushed a deep red and leaned in to press a gentle kiss on the EMT's lips. Edd could have sworn his heart was in his throat at that moment. "I missed you so much Edd." the soldier mumbled into Edd's lips as the kiss turned passionate. Kevin would have been lying if he said his time away hadn't been both rough and depressing. He missed his love terribly.

The first few nights were the hardest. When Kevin would lay in his bunk for the night, he would just stare at the ceiling as sleep eluded him. He wasn't used to sleeping alone. Kevin missed the small sighs as Edd curled up next to him to keep warm, the way their feet and legs tangled together, and how Edd looked like an absolute _angel_ when he would sleep. Kevin would close his eyes and picture the soft black hair falling around his pale face and how the gap in Edd's teeth would peek out as he slept. Sometimes it helped, other times it made his loneliness worse.

Kevin had ended up dipping Edd as the kiss deepened. The ravenette reached up and linked his arms around the soldier's neck and tried not to melt into a puddle on the floor. "I love you."

Edd giggled as happy tears ran freely down his face. "I love you too."

When Kevin finally pulled away, he still kept his hands on Edd's shoulders so he could get a good look at his man in his own uniform. "God, you're handsome." Kevin said proudly, he was hunched over slightly to meet his boyfriend's beautiful blue eyes.

"You think?" Edd asked shyly. They had been dating for almost a year, but he still had his shy spurts. Kevin found it endearing.

"Absolutely."

Edd giggled and took one of Kevin's hands and led him towards the bedroom. "I want to show you something then."

Kevin blushed again as he remembered that the last time they had sex was so long ago. He then briefly wondered if you could get rusty from not having sex for a while. God, he hoped not.

When the two men entered the room, Edd let go of his hand and went to undo the top button of his slightly wrinkled shirt. Kevin chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest. "Already?"

Edd blushed and looked away. "N-no, I'm exhausted from work today. I actually planned to go to bed when I got home, but you surprised me. I'm sorry..." he said sheepishly with a small smile on his face.

"Babe, don't be sorry cause I'm pretty tired too. Jet leg's a bitch." Kevin mirrored the small smile and rubbed the back of his neck. Edd slid off the top half of his uniform, leaving him in a black tank top and his slacks and Kevin's heart damn near stopped.

Almost the entirety of Edd's left arm was covered in beautiful black designs with a splash of bright color here and there. The ink spread from the middle of his lower arm to his collar bone, almost touching the base of his pale neck. Who was this man and what had he done to the geeky little dork he'd known as a kid? Then it hit Kevin that he was going to be twenty next year and Edd was about to turn nineteen. Of course he had changed, a lot can happen in a decade or so.

 _"What?!"_ Kevin said loudly, he was immediately up close as he inspected the ink, and there was _a lot_ of it! He grabbed a hold of one of Edd's delicate hands and twirled him around so that he could see the full view. Kevin felt something coil in his stomach at the sound of his love's laugh, it was like a breath of fresh air.

Kevin made a noise of disbelief as he saw a group of black roses that covered the entirety of Edd's shoulder blade. How many tattoos did he get while he was gone? Edd never ceased to amaze him. "Y'know I'm really into tattoos?" he mused as he traced a finger delicately along one of the ebony petals, feeling the coil wind itself tighter as he felt Edd shudder under his touch.

"I recall." Edd said in a voice that made the soldier's knees feel weak. Gently, Kevin placed a few kisses on the smaller man's shoulder.

Edd let a small moan escape his lips as Kevin's lips met his skin. The lack of contact from Kevin for so long made Edd hungry with desire, even if he did feel dead on his feet.

At the sound of the moan, Kevin couldn't help but press himself to Edd's back and continue his assault on his future husband. Edd moaned again and Kevin tried his damnedest to control himself. "Still tired?"

Edd placed his small hands over Kevin's much larger ones that rested on top of his flat stomach. "Yes." he whispered, drinking in the feeling of Kevin's lips on his burning skin.

"Wanna go to bed?"

"No."


	34. The Good Day

Author's Note: I can sense more zombie!AU stories coming to me. I can get over the apocalypse drama I keep coming up with. It's funny, really.

7 Years by Lukas Graham is STILL stuck in my head since I heard it on the radio a few days ago. The party won't stop.

So I got a couple new followers on Tumblr *scoffs and rolls eyes, trying to hide the immense amount of feels* THANK YOU. WOW. MUCH THANKS.

* * *

Kevin slept better than he had in months that night with Edd curled up to him. It was like putting two puzzle pieces together, they were a perfect match.

Edd stirred in the early hours of the morning and slowly sat up. _God,_ his legs were sore. He grimaced as he stretched the long limbs and then looked over to the sleeping Adonis beside him. Edd felt his breath catch in his throat as he realized that last night wasn't just a dream, it was _real._ His love was home. Edd didn't know for how long, but all that mattered at the moment was that Kevin was finally back in his arms for the time being.

The ravenette placed a loving kiss on the sleeping soldier's lips and crawled out of the bed, snatching a pair of clean sweatpants from the dresser and moseyed down to the kitchen in only those. Edd began to gather the ingredients for Kevin's favorite breakfast. Bacon, eggs, toast, and cinnamon rolls. The man deserved a decent meal while he was home and Edd knew that his mother would take them out to dinner once she knew Kevin was in town. He was grateful he had the weekend off so he could spend time with his family.

About a half hour later, the red-head finally awoke when he felt the empty space next to him. Concern filtered through his mind but the tantalizing smell of bacon that wafted in from the kitchen made him forget. Kevin's toned stomach growled angrily as the events from last night left him famished. Sex always made him hungry afterwards.

Minutes later he was left speechless by the man that was standing shirtless in the middle of the kitchen by a pan of fresh cinnamon rolls reading a book. Edd left his hat abandoned on the floor from last night and let his inky locks go free. Sex hair looked _really_ good on him, for sure. Kevin let out a low whistle and shoved his hands in his pockets as he wandered into the warm kitchen. "What's goin' on here?" he asked as he stepped close and pressed a light kiss to the other's lips with a small smile.

Edd smiled back and shrugged, the black ink on his left shoulder glimmered a little in the fluorescent light. "I'm making you breakfast."

"Aw, you didn't have to do that." Kevin said, a light blush dancing across his cheeks as he rubbed the back of his neck out of habit.

Edd scoffed and turned around to scoop a sweet roll out of the pan and onto a small plate. "If I can't make my future husband breakfast, what kind of man would I be? Besides, you deserve it."

 _Future husband._ The words danced around in Kevin's head wildly as he took the plate that Edd handed out to him. "You still wanna get married huh?" he asked with a smirk as they sat down at the bar facing the living room as they could watch TV while they ate.

Edd narrowed his oceanic eyes at Kevin and frowned. "Do you not want to?"

Kevin laughed a little and stabbed a piece of egg with his fork. "Yes, of course I do. Having seven kids and then getting married would seem a little tacky right?"

"Ah, yes. What are the names of these hypothetical children?" Edd asked with a smirk of his own as his mood lightened and popped a piece of toast into his mouth.

"Well I was thinking we could just number them, y'know? Like I'll ask number six to pick up his toys and number four needs a nap."

Edd rolled his eyes and continued to pick at his food. "And please elaborate on how we acquire seven children in the first place. We'll deal with the terrible choice of names later."

Kevin shrugged and picked up his coffee cup to take a sip. "Get you pregnant, of course. How else?"

Edd inhaled a piece off egg and started to choke loudly as he slapped the counter. Kevin merely took another sip of his coffee in total seriousness as his boyfriend tried to gather himself. "Problem?" the red-head asked.

The EMT blinked away the water in his eyes and coughed once more before facing Kevin with a very red face. "I'd like to see you try, Mr. Barr, but I have my doubts about it."

Kevin cocked an eyebrow and bit into a slice of bacon. "Are you seriously doubting my abilities to knock you up? I've knocked thousands of women up! This'll be a piece of cake!" Kevin said triumphantly and raised his arms in the air and leaned back in his chair.

Edd eyed his love blankly before hopping off of his stool. "And I'm done with this conversation and I pray for the sake of all your illegitimate children and the teen mothers who had to deal with you in the process. How much child support to do pay each month, Dear? I do expect a ring at some point..."

Kevin laughed heartily and placed a hand on Edd's hip to keep him from walking away. "Oh stop. You know I love you."

"All I wanted was a nice breakfast with you. Was that too much to ask?" Edd sighed dramatically and rested an elbow on the counter as he talked.

"Yes." Kevin quipped and pecked Edd on the lips quickly. "You know you love it. And I will get you a ring eventually. I plan to sweep you off your feet when I do it too." he said, causing a vibrant blush to dance across Edd's cheeks. "Y'know. After I get a few babies out'cha first."

"Kevin!" Edd shrieked and smacked him on the arm. The man really did have a thing for getting under the ravenette's skin, but Edd liked it regardless.

"Okay, okay! I'm done, I promise." Kevin laughed as Edd pouted a little at the teasing.

"Good." Edd huffed and folded his arms across his chest. "I love you."

Kevin smiled and pulled his love into a passionate kiss. "Love you too."

...

Later that night the two did end up having dinner with Christine. The woman almost started to cry on the phone when Kevin called her from Edd's phone to see how her day was going.

The three ended up going to some fancy Italian bistro. Edd had picked out Kevin's outfit for the night, a pair of nice dark jeans with a white button up and black blazer. Edd's consisted of a lilac button up paired with a sleek grey vest also with nice jeans. Kevin thought he looked dashing with the way Edd rolled his sleeves up and left the top few buttons of his shirt unbuttoned allowing the art on his skin to peek out.

"Ready?" Edd asked as he threw on his old beanie and raised an eyebrow at the staring red-head. Snapping out of his state, the soldier nodded with a smirk and linked their arms together as they walked out to the car.

It had been a great day all around. Kevin and Edd woke up in each other's arms, they had breakfast, talked about babies, and were now going to have dinner with Christine. The end of the night would most likely end in the two stumbling through the front door hastily, pressing urgent kisses to each other, and then both would beg to God in gasps and moans.

However, something stirred in Edd's head that something didn't feel quite right- something about himself.


	35. The Break

Edd had ended up making Kevin drive to dinner that night. The redhead didn't ask why Edd was so insistent on not driving, but merely agreed with a smile as he walked over to the driver's side. "I'm excited to see Ma, I missed her a lot." he commented as the car pulled out of the driveway and glanced over at the handsome man before him. Lilac was _definitely_ Edd's color as it complimented his pale complexion wonderfully. The young man in the passenger seat unintentionally distracted Kevin from the job at hand as his foot weighed down on the brake, making the car jolt to a stop. "Sorry..." he said lamely as Edd bounced back in his seat, eyes wide with a hand to his chest.

"What on earth?! Are you alright?" Edd said in a panicked tone as his hand clenched the fabric of his shirt tightly.

Kevin rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly before changing gears and moving the car forward. "Yeah. I guess I just got caught up enjoying the view..."

"The view..?" Edd questioned and glanced out his window in search of an answer. The soldier chuckled a little and set a large hand on Edd's thigh, causing a blush to dance about both of their cheeks.

"I was talking about you, Babe."

The smaller man let out a giggle and placed a delicate hand over the other's. "Ten and two, Darling."

...

Once they had finally gotten to the restaurant, Edd took a few deep breaths to fight the feeling of dread that started to creep up. He didn't know why he felt it, the only downside of his life lately had been Kevin's leave and that was about three months ago. Logically, there was nothing besides his illness to be distraught over and it had only ever bothered him when other people became emotionally involved.

If Edd was honest with himself, he wasn't afraid to die. Whether it be by a freak accident or by his body's own terms, there was an absence where fear should have been. However he was only afraid for what he would leave behind in his wake. A mother would lose a child and a man would become a widower. True, Christine and Kevin would always have each other and that fact gave Edd peace of mind when the time came for him to go. Never mind his shattered dreams of never being able to grow old with the man by his side if his time was too soon.

"Edd?"

"Hm?" the ravenette was snapped out of his thoughts and looked up to his future husband. Kevin had once again linked their arms together as they walked towards the building. Since when did they get out of the car? Edd absently rubbed one of his temples; his mind felt...fuzzy.

"I asked if you're okay. You just kinda spaced out for a little bit there." Kevin asked as he looked down at Edd with a concerned face.

Edd put on his best smile and nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking." he said as confidently as he could to which the other thankfully bought the act. Edd sighed internally as he knew that something was off. His mind was fuzzy and he couldn't concentrate worth a damn, not to mention the feeling of dread was still creeping ever so slowly up his body. But Kevin was home and they were about to have a lovely evening with Christine and Edd refused to soil the night with his own issues. He put on his best game face as the two lovers walked into the bistro and soon they were seated at a table in the back as they waited for their mother to arrive.

Kevin took a drink of his water and eyed Edd with his smoldering gaze. "So," he started with a little smirk playing at his lips. "what've you been doing since..?"

Edd took a sip of his own water hoping to calm his nerves and smiled. "Oh, well you know about the EMT course work and whatnot, but I've picked up another job to fill my time. As well as these." he said and motioned to the permanently stained skin on his forearm. Kevin's eyes darkened a little from what could only be called lust as he eyed the ink on his lover's pale skin.

"How many did you get while I was gone?" he asked, reaching out to gently trace one of the intricate designs. Edd shivered slightly at the touch.

"In three months? Well...I'd have to say at least six. Good Lord, that makes me sound...strange." Edd openly cringed at himself for getting so carried away with his addiction. Oh, how much money he spent on the things. True, Edd worked well over forty hours a week between two decent paying jobs, so whatever extra cash he lad left over would go into his skin.

"At _least_ six? Damn Edd, I didn't know ya liked the things so much. We could've gone and gotten one together." Kevin chuckled and took another sip of his drink. Edd felt something strange wash over him and he took another deep breath. The exercises seemed to be helping whatever he was having at the moment.

"We still can if you want before you leave. How long do you have?"

Kevin rubbed a large hand over his face and sighed. "Two more days, after that I'm being shipped out to Afghanistan."

A large knot formed in Edd's chest at the new information. "For how long..?" he asked, lightly gripping the part of his shirt where his heart was.

Kevin shrugged and looked at Edd with sad eyes. "I honestly don't know. It could be anywhere from six to sixteen months until my next break. Hey, Baby no, don't look like that."

The soldier cooed from his spot as Edd slowly let his head sink into his palms. Kevin gingerly linked his fingers with Edd's delicate ones and rubbed soothing circles on the back of his hand. "I love you."

Edd pushed down as much of the emotion as he could and looked over at the handsome man before him. "I love you too but in regards to our previous topic, I would like to take you out for one." he said as he quickly changed the subject out of fear that he would fall apart at the seems.

Kevin pulled his lips into the trademark smirk he used to wear in high school and nodded. "Sounds like a plan, tomorrow then?"

"Tomorrow." Edd promised with a smile plastered onto his face. Not even a minute later Christine showed up clad in an elegant looking black dress that reached her ankles.

Soon the food had been ordered and delivered and the three were engaged in light conversation. Well, it was mostly Kevin and Christine who did all the talking, Edd simply sat there and tried to ignore the sound of his heartbeat in his ears. He simply couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong in that moment as he was chest-deep in some dreaded feeling. Edd felt as if he were starting to suffocate.

"Dear, are you alright?" Christine asked as the eyed her son who had his head down with a hand over his forehead. Kevin's gaze snapped over to Edd as he took in the small man as he waited for his answer. After a moment of Edd not saying anything, Christine leaned over and spoke quietly. "It's alright if you don't feel well Eddward. We can always have dinner again tomorrow night."

"I-I'm fine, really. Just a little under the weather." Edd said, his voice cracking once as he placed a strained smile on his face.

"Edd." Kevin said sternly as he picked at his pasta. "C'mon man, be honest with us."

Edd felt his face redden as his plan of not ruining the evening turned to shit. He knew that both Kevin and Christine thought very seriously of how Edd was feeling. If he even had the slightest ache, Christine ordered bed rest whilst Kevin would interrogate him to no end. In a strange way he always felt the most loved on his worst days. "I'm sorry, I really tried not to ruin dinner for you two. I think...I think I need to go home."

"Eddward, you're more important than dinner! Now I'm going to go pay for the bill and Kevin will take you back to the car. I'll meet you two at your house, okay?" the woman said and placed a small kiss to her son's cheek.

Edd nodded as Kevin wrapped an arm securely around his waist and walked him out of the restaurant quickly. The redhead glanced down at Edd occasionally as they neared the car, but neither of them said anything as they allowed the tension in the air to grow. Very rarely did Edd let his illness get the better of him, Kevin knew he must have been feeling very bad for it to come between dinner with him and his reunited family.

"Baby, what is it?" Kevin asked once the two were sitting in the car, placing a hand on Edd's thigh once again. His eyes drifted over his slightly heaving chest, the thin layer of sweat covering his face, and the color of his pale skin seemed to turn ghostly white as they drove back to the house.

Edd took a shaky deep breath as he continued to hug himself. "I feel awful. I just need to lay down when we get home, then I'll be fine."

At this point, Kevin became nervous as he realized that Edd was talking more to himself than to the him. Edd was trying to reassure himself that he'd be okay and it scared Kevin to death. The red-head had never seen the ravenette seem so frail and sick than he did in that moment. Kevin pressed harder on the gas as they sped home.

By the time they arrived, Edd was a mess. His arms never ceased from hugging themselves as he walked in the front door and simply stood in the entryway. At this point the feeling of dread had swallowed him whole as he felt his head go light. Edd just barely registered the door closing behind him as Kevin stepped in. "Edd?" Kevin called out to him in a timid voice as if he were scared to touch the smaller man who now seemed to be swaying dangerously on his feet. The red-head moved at blinding speeds as the raced to catch the man as he started to fall to the floor.

Kevin lowered himself onto his knees as he held Edd in his arms with a look of total fear on his face. Edd just collapsed right in front of him and Christine was no where to be found. He was hopelessly lost without her expert medical advice. Movement stirred Kevin from his thoughts and his head snapped back down to his love, praying to God that he had simply woken up. However, things were never that simple and tears sprang to Kevin's eyes as he realized, hugging Edd close to his chest before the unimaginable happened.

Edd started to seize.


	36. Mother Knows Best

Author's Note:

Just call me alpha.

Here we are, 36 chapters in and I am so happy. I literally haven't felt this good about myself in months but thanks to you all I'm smiling like a fool! Ya'll are precious to me and need to be locked in my basement so I can keep you safe. So here's to many more chapters! I'm not even close to being done yet and I'll never stop trying to appease you all with my poor writing and editing skills! Cheers!

* * *

 _Beep._

 _Beep._

 _Beep._

The steady sound broke Eddward from his slumber. Cerulean eyes opened very slowly to adjust to the insanely bright lights that shone above him. Wait-where was he? Edd blinked a few times and peered around the room before the heart monitor suddenly went silent for a moment before a flurry of beeps escaped the speaker.

 _"Oh God!"_ Edd thought frantically as he tried to sit up in his bed but the oxygen tube around his face kept him tied down. _"Oh God, I'm in a hospital..."_

Suddenly a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around him and slowly calmed the ravenette. "Shh, it's okay Edd. I got you."

Edd's eyes snapped up to the owner of the comforting arms with a worried gaze. Kevin was sitting on the bed with him, his beautiful green eyes looked tired but simply didn't match the exhaustion and worry that was painted all over Edd's face. Kevin then buried his head into the mess of inky hair and squeezed his arms a little around his man. "I'm so glad you're alright." he mumbled into the top of Edd's head, pressing little kisses here and there.

"Alright? Why am I in a hospital?" Edd asked, his eyebrows knotted together in confusion as the petite hands gripped Kevin's large biceps tightly.

"You don't remember what happened?" Kevin asked quietly. When Edd shook his head, Kevin pulled the smaller man into his chest and hugged him tightly. _How could he not remember? It had been the most terrifying moment in Kevin's life!_ It was true, Edd's episode had been worse than his mother leaving or his father beating the shit out of him for liking men. Kevin often wondered that if his dad had known that he still loves women as much as he does men, if it would have made a difference. Kevin snorted internally, probably not.

"Can you tell me please?" Edd asked, his voice was so small that Kevin almost missed the question.

 _Kevin looked down at the unconscious man in his arms and tried not to fall apart. His face finally looked peaceful now that he was unconscious, but Kevin knew there was a raging storm behind the closed eyes. A storm that Kevin could never truly understand._

 _The peaceful look on his face was the only thing that kept the soldier together, even as his love began to jerk violently. Kevin had always thought he would be prepared for whatever Edd threw his way, especially since Christine had explained every tiny detail of Edd's illness to him and what to do for any situation. However she had never mentioned what to do if he started having seizures, perhaps it had slipped her mind, or maybe it had never been a problem before now._

 _The first thing that popped into Kevin's mind was to hold the teen tight against him but it was as like trying to wrestle a greased up pig. Edd's muscles loosened and tightened erratically, making it almost impossible for Kevin to keep a firm grip on Edd without hurting either of them. His back kept arching harshly and he started to make gargling noises. God, what was he supposed to do?! Could he swallow his tongue? No, no I don't think so._

 _Kevin finally snapped into action as he held Edd's head in the crook of his arm tightly and pinned a leg over the other's as he dug around his pockets for his phone. When he finally found he quickly pulled up the emergency dialer and took a quick glace at Edd before dropping the device all together._

 _The nearly white skin had begun to blush a purplish color as if he was without air and tears finally fell from the forest green eyes. "Oh God, oh God please no I can't-" Kevin sobbed as he pressed his face into Edd's shaking one and pressed a tender kiss to his forehead before scrambling to pick up the phone and dialed 911. "M-my boyfriend's having a seizure! He's turning purple-" the soldier sobbed harshly as the woman on the other line talked him though the process. How long had the seizure been going on? What were his movements like? What were the risk factors?_

 _It had only been about a minute, but it had been the longest minute of Kevin's life. Edd's movements started to slow and eventually his body slumped heavily against the soldier's with a sigh as the ravenette's breathing finally evened out. Kevin cried out in relief as the purplish color slowly drained away only to be replaced by the usual rosy cheeks. Not even a minute after that some paramedics rushed into the house and ran up to the couple on the floor._

 _"Is that...Vincent?" one of the man asked, his eyes bulging out of his head. The other man nodded solemnly as they moved him away from Kevin and on to the stretcher. They allowed Kevin to climb in the back of the ambulance just as Christine pulled into the driveway with a horrified look on her face._

 _Her baby was relapsing. Edd was dying._

...

Edd was a sobbing mess by the end of Kevin's blurry recollection of the past few hours. The ravenette cried angrily into his palms and Kevin rubbed soothing circles on the bare of his back where the gown parted. "Everything's gonna be okay Baby. I promise."

The small man sniffled a few times before raising his red-rimmed eyes up to the sad green ones. "I'm so sorry."

Kevin's eyebrows lowered and his hand paused. "Why're you sorry?"

Edd shook his head a little and looked away. "You're only home for three days and here I go and make a mess of everything. I really didn't plan on spending what little time I had with you in a hospital."

"Listen," Kevin huffed and forced Edd to look at him by grabbing his chin. "I love you and I'm just so relieved that you're alright, okay? I don't care that we went home early from dinner and I also don't care that we're sitting in a hospital right now. At the moment, I'm just happy that you're alive and I'm able to be with you."

Edd nodded and took a steadying breath and pulled Kevin into a hug with all the strength he could muster. "Thank you."

"For what?" the red-head asked as he pressed a few kisses on Edd's bare shoulder, the hospital gown was really doing nothing for Edd at this point. It hung off his slender body like it was made of rags.

"For being you." Edd sniffled and then pulled back to kiss the end Kevin's straight nose. "Thank you for taking a chance on us and for staying even when you found out I was sick. You have no idea how grateful I am for you."

Kevin smiled a little and pressed a sweet kiss to Edd's lips. "I could say the same, minus the sick part. You've done _so_ much for me, sometimes I look back and wonder how I got so lucky to have you in my arms."

Edd giggled, Kevin certainly did have a way with words. "You were being a nosy neighbor and knocked on my front door."

Kevin scoffed and leaned back against the stiff bed with an arm still slung around Edd's shoulders. "Yeah, yeah, but if I had known we'd end up where we are now I woulda broke down that goddamned door with my bike and just declared my love for you right then and there."

Edd playfully rolled his eyes and rested his head on Kevin's chest as they talked, the events from a few hours ago temporarily took a back seat in his mind. "I'm very sure."

Christine came into the room about a half hour later with a few nurses that held various medical supplies. Kevin's eyes widened and tightened his arms around Edd. "What's goin' on?" he asked and Christine shot a tired smile at her boy as she set up her instruments on the cart.

"We're going to set up a port, it's going to help manage the tumor's aggressive nature." she explained and Edd merely nodded in acceptance while Kevin looked between the two in confusion.

"What's a port?" the red-head asked quietly as he leaned into his boyfriend's ear.

"It's a device that goes into my chest for chemotherapy, it'll be easier for me rather than taking a new IV every time." Edd said quickly as Christine prepped her instruments and put a mast over her face.

"Eddward's tumor is highly aggressive form of brain cancer, this is gonna help combat the bad cells and possibly shrink the tumor." she explained and pulled down Edd's gown to reveal his pale chest. "You're going to feel a little sleepy, Dear." the troubled mother said to her son as she applied local anesthesia through a rather large needle- Kevin openly cringed as his childhood fear of needles came creeping up on him.

The soldier watched from behind Christine as she inserted a tube and then the entire device into his love's chest. Edd watched as well, but his eyes were now glazed over instead of the usual gleam they always held. The nurses left the room once they realized that Christine didn't require any more assistance.

"You know, when I was in medical school a doctor once told me that brain cancer meant sudden death."

Kevin's head snapped up to look at his adoptive mother in confusion. She never turned to him as she threw a few stitches in to close up the procedure. "And when I found out that my baby had it I cried. I cried and cried for days. But then there he was in his little purple overalls and he came up to me and you know what Eddward said? He put his little hand on my cheek and said "Don't cry Mama, I'll get better soon. I'm a tough cookie!" and I couldn't help but smile at him. Even with an uncertain future hanging over his head, he never let it get to him."

Christine sighed and took off her mask, running her hands through the inky locks of the doped up teen, tracing her finger along the scar. "We've been through this before, when he was five. Everything is different so similar, Kevin. But I know he'll fight as hard as he can because Eddward told me those exact words when he first found out he was getting sick again and I have no reason to doubt him." she inhaled a shaky breath and turned in her chair to look up at her second son.

"He's my tough cookie," she started to sob and Kevin immediately gathered the small woman in his strong arms. The two simply held each other in silence for a while as Edd's cloudy eyes slowly slipped shut.

"D'ya think he'll really be okay?" the red-head asked quietly, gazing over to the man he was supposed to marry when he was finished with the military.

"I'm positive." Christine said with a nod and wiped the last of her tears away. "If he can beat it once he can beat this again."


	37. French Talk

Edd was released from the hospital days later after Christine had deemed him fit, but he feeling a little under the weather. Christine had said this was normal as the teen had just received his first round via Port-o-Cath and the medicine was still making its way through Edd's system.

 _"This is Edd we're talkin' about here. Of course he's gonna make it. The guy's cheated death at least twice now and third time's a charm after all. Edd'll be fine..."_ Kevin thought to himself seriously as they drove home. The two were going through their own separate battles; Kevin was going to war in Afghanistan and Edd was fighting his second round of cancer. Well, it wasn't really the second time as Edd's illness had been going on for _years._ "How ya feelin'?"

Edd looked over at Kevin with a little smile. "I'm glad to be out of there, but not so glad to have these hanging out of me." he said and touched one of the three tubes that were taped to his chest. Kevin tried not to cringe when Edd pulled down the collar to his loose shirt, the obvious mound in his skin where the port was made his stomach churn.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, the red-head's hands tightening on the wheel.

"No, I can barely feel it...are you okay?" Edd asked, noticing Kevin's white knuckles as his grip tightened. Kevin seemed to relax a little when Edd laid his small hand on the other's thigh.

"I'm...yeah. I'm fine." he sighed. Edd noticed his knuckles start to turn white again and sighed in return.

"Don't lie to me, Kev."

Kevin said nothing as they continued their journey home. Edd only called him "Kev" when he was either very angry or very serious. Edd took his hand away from Kevin's leg and folded them gently in his lap as if he would shatter if he moved too fast. It broke Kevin's heart.

The two were still silent as they walked into their home. Edd immediately kicked off his shoes on the mat and walked to the bathroom to refresh himself. His skin held a lingering smell of medicine from his minor procedure and he hated it. The smell made him queasy and Edd tried to push the feeling down as he splashed some cold water on his face.

When Edd finally emerged from the bathroom, he found Kevin stuffing his bag with everything he had brought home with him. "What time is your flight?"

"In an hour."

Edd's lips twisted as he tried to contain his emotions. They had wasted what little time they did have together in that damned hospital and Edd was mentally kicking himself for it. If only he could have kept it together long enough so Kevin could have actually had a relaxing weekend at home on his time off.

"I see." the raven said as he continued to watch his boyfriend pack away his things for only God knows how long. He rubbed his hands nervously as he watched from the end of the hallway. Never had he felt so far away from Kevin since that time in high school where he had caught Kevin's arm around another girl. She had never been explained as Edd had forgotten about her in the midst of their budding relationship back then.

Seeing as there was nothing left for either of them to say, Edd yanked on his hands and walked back to their bedroom to change into more comfortable clothes. He peeled off the large shirt, careful of the tubes, and walked over to the closet in search of a fresh one. The ravenette settled on a black pullover and a pair of navy sweatpants that said "Emergency Medical Technician" down one of the legs. Then he stepped over to the mirror and took a good hard look at himself. He took off his beanie and set it gently on the dresser, grabbed two handfuls of his black hair and flattened it against his head. Edd's eyebrows knotted together as he tried to picture himself without hair.

"What're you doin'?"

Edd let go of his hair and turned around to face a soldier that was dressed to the nines in his uniform. He could see his troubled eyes flicker from the shadow his hat cast across his face. "Oh, nothing. I just changed into something more comfortable." he said with a strained smile.

"Alright, well, I'm going. I love you."

Edd felt his heart plummet at the coldness between them. They had been so happy when Kevin first arrived! Edd felt as if it were his fault for Kevin's distance and it was starting to eat away at him. "Kev, what's wrong?" he asked, timidly stepping closer to the tall red-head.

"Nothing, I promise." Kevin said, eyes shifting to the floor.

Edd stepped closer. "No, don't lie to me. I know you better than that. _Please._ "

"I said there's nothing wrong, can we just drop it?" the other snipped and Edd paused as confusion filtered across his face. Kevin had hardly ever been angry with him before, but when he was it was for obvious reasons. Right now Edd was left dumbfounded by his attitude.

"You're a terrible liar. Why can't you be honest with me?"

Kevin groaned and rubbed his hands over his face as Edd continued to speak. "Was it me? Did I do something to upset you?"

"Can you just shut it for a second?" Kevin snapped and rubbed his temples. The raven shut his mouth on command and began to tug on his fingers nervously. "I'm pretty fuckin' pissed right now." he spat harshly as he threw an arm out to the side. Edd thought about asking why, but thought better of it when Kevin's face started to turn different shades of red. "Ask me why."

"W-why?"

Kevin took a step forward and Edd took a half-step back, knowing the red-head could get pretty nasty when he was angry. He flashed back to all those months ago to when Kevin almost punched him in the face for insinuating that he was stupid. "Cause life isn't as easy as it should be. That's why. It should _me_ serving my country and then coming home to my wife, starting a family, and living a normal life. Instead, I'm going to war soon and my fuckin' fiance is literally dying in front of me. That's why I'm pissed."

Edd stared at this man in bewilderment. This was incredibly out of character for him to act like this! Normally he was so calm and loving towards Edd and now he was acting so...just so angry. It seemed that overnight Edd's future husband had become someone he didn't recognize. "You wanted...a wife?"

Kevin paused and his face reddened even more at the realization of what he said. "N-no! I-"

"And you're angry because I'm sick? Are you serious right now?" the smaller man asked in a low voice. Kevin shrunk back the tiniest bit, knowing he fucked up. He waited for the screaming to ensue from his harsh words. "Explain yourself."

The soldier blinked a few times before looking over at his love. "I'm sorry, Edd. I didn't mean it like-"

"Stop babbling, I said explain yourself. _Now._ " Edd said after taking a deep breath to calm his frazzled nerves, landing his darkened eyes on Kevin. They couldn't afford a fight, not now. Not before Kevin was about to leave.

"I-" Kevin sucked in a breath. "I'm angry. I'm angry because you're sick and I can't be here to help you. I'll be on a plane in forty-five minutes to go to another country, not knowing whether or not the love of my life is lying comatose in a hospital somewhere." he explained slowly and took another deep breath. Edd waited patiently for Kevin to speak again as his sudden anger began to recede.

"Before I signed up, I had no idea it'd get this bad. If I did, I wouldn't have even thought about leaving. Now it's too late and I'm _terrified_ and angry. If I come home next time and your not here waiting for me, I'd hate myself." he finished with one hand on his hip and the other covering his face as he tried not to lose it. Edd walked forward and took the soldier's hands in his smaller ones and held them tight.

"Listen, Kevin. _écouter_ (listen)." Edd cooed softly and Kevin's ears perked up at the French word. Guilty green eyes met determined blue and his breath hitched the tiniest bit. "I understand your frustration, but fighting and screaming at each other won't solve anything. If you have any problems or insecurities you need to tell me. I can't help if I don't know what's wrong."

Kevin lowered his eyes as the reassuring and _kind_ words hit his ears. Another wave of guilt hit him as he realized just how utterly stupid he had been a few minutes ago by letting his anger get the best of him. "Okay, I'm sorry Edd."

"I forgive you and I told you once but I'll tell you again. I _will_ be here waiting for you when you decide to return. I can't guarantee that I'll be in the best of shape, but I'll most certainly be here. I'm far from finished with you, Mr. Vincent-Barr. I love you."

"I love you too. God, I'm so sorry. Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve you."

Edd gave a tiny smile and pecked the end of Kevin's nose. "Don't speak like that, _mon cher_ (my dear). It's natural for couples to fight occasionally, but-" Edd pulled back and smacked the side of the soldier's head with his hand, earning a startled yelp. "if you _ever_ tell me that I'm dying to my face, or start a fight because you're too stubborn to share your feelings- _J_ _e jure devant Dieu que je vais vous battre avec mes pantoufles si fort que vous serez celui à l'hôpital au lieu de moi_ (I swear to god I'll beat you with my house slippers so hard that you'll be the one in the hospital instead of me)."

Kevin stared at his lover with wide eyes. "What?"

"Exactly."

* * *

Author's Note: Please refer to chapter 7 for the mention of violent tendencies.


	38. Living Separate Lives

Author's Note: I'm getting anxious. *wiggles eyebrows at dshell suggestively*

* * *

The next few weeks were the hardest for Edd. The paramedics that had responded to Kevin's 911 call were his instructors who now deemed him too unstable to continue his EMT training. It was a crushing blow to the young man, but he understood where they were coming from. How was Edd supposed to save other lives when he could collapse at any moment? However, the bright side was that he was more than welcome to pick up where he left off when he got better, however long that might take.

Kevin had managed to call Edd once in the two months that he had been gone already. The line was terrible as Kevin mentioned something about his base having terrible connection, and something else about an e-mail which Edd had yet to see. The raven didn't care though. That one five minute static phone call where he could actually _hear_ fragments of Kevin's sentences was still music to his ears.

At the moment, Kevin was stationed at a base near a small town where there had been a lot of bombings. The soldier adjusted his heavy gear as he walked down the unpaved street with his gun. He always felt so bad when he scared the little kids while he was on patrol, but he would sometimes kneel down to their level and give them a piece of candy he managed to sneak away with him. The mothers never said anything when he did this, but Kevin thought they appreciated it by the tiny sparkle in their eyes.

"So how's it goin' over here?"

Kevin turned his gaze to the smaller woman next to him. "It's too damn hot, like usual."

She giggled and nudged him with her elbow. "Ah, grow a set. It's fine, you got a breeze."

The red-head threw a mock glare at the woman as she continued to laugh. Her name was Naomi. A short, dark skinned woman with tight ebony curls pouring out from underneath the back of her helmet. She was from another squadron that came to help secure the town, and one if Kevin's first friends in the military. They had met on the plane after he was finished with his three day leave two months ago, and as it turns out she lived in Lemon Brook. It was really a small world sometimes.

...

Eddy stood over his friend with a questioning gaze. "Is that what you came over for?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow and the ravenette merely shrugged with a guilty smirk.

"What? You're not happy to spend time with me anymore? I'm hurt..."

The shortest Ed sighed and scratched the back of his head. "No, I like hangin' out with ya Sockhead. I just- I didn't think we'd be doing this of all things."

Edd took a glance at the shears in his friend's hand. "I'd rather take it myself. It's better that way, plus I can't do it myself. My hands are to shaky." he said as he blinked up at his best friend from the chair he was reclining in. Lee walked into the room with a couple of sodas and a water for Edd and gave the boys a smile.

"What're you guys up to? You finally gettin' a haircut Babe?" she asked as she handed Edd his water with a smirk.

Eddy laughed and shook his head. "Not today Lee, it's D's turn." he said as he clicked the shears on and waved it around. Lee's eyebrows scrunched up as she looked between the two boys.

"Why?"

Edd shrugged again nonchalantly. "It's finally starting to fall out, might as just get rid of all of it now."

"What? Why? Are ya sick or somethin'?" the woman asked as she stepped closer to the boys. Eddy merely sighed as he pulled off Edd's hat to let the mop of inky hair fall onto the back of the reclined chair. He briefly looked at the chunk of hair that fell to the floor and frowned.

"Or something." Edd mumbled as he felt Eddy get to work, starting at the far right of his head by his ear. The cool air felt strange against his bare scalp. "Thank you again for doing this Eddy."

"It's no prob D, I'm just honored you asked me. Just promise that if you need help to ask me alright? I'm really not feelin' up to finding your body crushed under the fridge because you couldn't reach the ice."

Edd scoffed and crossed his arms. "That fridge is abnormally tall, that's why I always get the ladder if I need something."

Eddy laughed a little and shaved off another lock of his friend's hair while Lee kept looking between her boyfriend and his best friend with her confusion growing at a steady rate. "Woah, woah. Did I miss somethin'? I'm lost."

"He's sick Lee. D's...ugh." Eddy stopped and rubbed his eyes quickly. "S-sorry. Got some hair in my eyes."

Edd rolled his eyes at Eddy's bravado. "I have cancer Lee. I'm sick."

The woman paled at the news as she finally took in her teary-eyed boyfriend and the all-to-thin boy before her. "Oh, I'm-I'm so sorry Edd. When did you find out?"

"It's been a long time Lee, but let's not dwell on the subject." Edd said as he felt Eddy give his bald head a pat to signal that he was done. Edd sat up slowly and shook out his hat before placing it back on his head. "Let's watch some movies shall we?"

...

Kevin sat in the mess hall and tried to stomach his dinner; he would kill for a steak right about now. His new friends named Don and Jackson sat with him as they all chattered on about something exciting that had happened to them that day. The other two boys were fresh out of high school as well so Kevin didn't feel as out of place as he did with the more experienced men in their squad.

"What about you Kev?" Don asked as he shoved something akin to roast beef into his mouth.

Kevin swallowed whatever he was chewing quickly and looked over at the man. "What about me what?"

Jackson chuckled and put a hand over his face as he peered at Don. "Gotta sweetheart back home?"

"Er, yeah. I do." the red-head said as he rested his chin in his hand, his thoughts drifting towards Edd. It hurt sometimes Kevin missed him so much. Was he okay? He didn't know. There was little to no connection anywhere as far as he knew and it killed him. How long could he keep up the brave face before shattering to pieces under the immense guilt that he still held on to for leaving his sick fiance behind?

"What's her name then?" Don asked as he chomped down on his fork.

"Eddward." Kevin said as he rubbed his eyes and Don nearly spit out his food. "Problem?"

"Nah, I think ya just startled him. We're cool, don't worry bro." Jackson said as he patted his friend on the back. "So tell us a little bit about this Edd of yours."

"He's a huge dork."

Don's face twisted up as he recovered. "Well that's...touching."

"Well, he was the smartest kid in the county back in high school, so yeah. He's a dork. But..."

Jackson smiled and brushed his hand along the mandatory buzz. "But he's your dork, right?"

"Yeah, it's funny though. I used to beat the shit out of him and his friends when we were younger and now we're gonna get married when I'm through here. Time flies, man." Kevin mused as he closed his eyes, picturing his hands resting on Edd's curved hips and the silky feel of his black hair running through his fingers. Playing with Edd's untamed hair was one of Kevin's favorite past times.

"Damn. How long's it been for you two?"

Kevin sighed and tapped his fingers on the wooden table as he thought. "Our one year anniversary was two weeks ago. I tried to call him but the line was shitty." he said and felt terribly lovesick at that moment. "Listen, I think I'm gonna split for the night. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"O four-hundred Kev! I'll kick yer ass if you sleep in!" Don hollered as the two men watched their fellow soldier walk back to his bunk slowly.

...

Edd tossed and turned in his bed as a his stomach cramped painfully. It was like reliving his incident with Jarad all those months ago when his stomach was torn open. The pain was _terrible._ This however, was simply another side effect of the chemo. They had been hitting him rather hard lately with the muscle pain, weight loss, vomiting, and the mouth sores. God, _the mouth sores._ Edd detested them with all his being as they were so painful! While his meticulous dental hygiene kept the nasty fuckers at bay, they were still ever present.

A few stray tears slipped down his pale cheeks as another painful wave came crashing in on him. "God," he whimpered and hugged himself tighter, wishing it was a certain red-head that was holding him instead of himself. Kevin would have helped him through the pain or rubbed his back as he threw up. It was supposed to be Kevin's job to look out for him, yet he wasn't there. But all Edd's friends from the cul-de-sac, his EMT buddies, favorite nurses, and even Veronica from the tattoo parlor had offered him their help if and when Edd needed it and it touched the young man to no end.

All those people, even the ones that were hours away would drop everything to lend a helping hand but Edd was determined to live as independently for as long as possible.

All he needed to know was where to draw the line.


	39. I'm Here

Author's Note: I'm very sick and very tired.

I'll be busy with work for a while, but hopefully I'll return to my laptop in the next two days or so. Read on, my children.

* * *

Two more months flew by and both of the boys were struggling to keep their brave faces on. While Kevin had Naomi and his other friends to talk to when he was down, Edd was trying to keep it together by himself. It was true that Eddy and Christine would be at his house in fifteen seconds flat if he needed anything but Edd's stubborn nature prevented him from asking for help. He was doing just fine at the moment plus no one needed to see how horrible he was looking these days. Chemo had really done a number on him in just four months.

Edd had received an e-mail from Kevin last night and to put it lightly, Edd was elated. Apparently a USO tent had been established in the area so the soldiers could finally make contact with their loved ones. The e-mail wasn't very long, but Kevin's words were clear.

 _Edd,_

 _How are you? Please tell me you're doing okay._ _I_ _miss you a lot. I told some of the guys about you and they all want to meet you sometime, I said maybe._

 _It's fucking hot over here all the time. If it weren't for my gear I'd probably be as red as my hair. Did I mention that I love you? Like, a lot? Because fuck. Jackson and Naomi call me a lovesick puppy cause I get so mopey sometimes._

 _Anyways, I'm gonna manage one e-mail a day. Tell me how you are when you get back to me, I don't know what time it is at home. No pussy-footing around either, I want to know what's going on. I miss you._

 _Your soldier husband,_

 _Kevin_

Edd started to cry as he read and reread the words over again. Kevin felt so close but yet so far away at the same time. His pounding headache began to ebb away slowly as he immediately set his twitching fingers over the black keys to reply.

...

Kevin and Naomi were on patrol again together that morning. The two had become close friends as the months rolled by as they were each other's main support. She talked about her brothers back home and how she missed them dearly while Kevin sometimes talked about Edd. Eventually he realized that not talking about his love back home helped keep his worried feelings at bay and Naomi understood this. She never pressed Kevin to talk and he was grateful for that.

The two walked along a row of shabby houses and listened to some of the kids as they played with a ball in the street, it had been a calm day so far.

"Micheal is seven now, he was really into trains last time I heard. I bought him a remote controlled track set for his birthday last year and he literally jumped me." Naomi giggled as she picked off a spot of dirt from her gun. "You got any brothers or sisters?"

"Nah, I'm an only child but I had friends who were like siblings. Nazz was like my sister, still is. I practically lived at her house for the longest time."

"That's nice." she mused. "What about your parents? My dad worked for the post office. He always came home with such funny stories to tell."

Kevin tried not to let the deep frown appear on his face. "Uh, I wasn't close to my dad. Edd's ma made me part of the family after she came back to town."

Naomi wanted to ask Kevin about his mother, but decided against it as she took in the troubled look on his face. "Tell me about her. What's she like?"

Kevin rolled his eyes and looked down at the woman beside him. "Why?" he asked, earning a jab in the side with her elbow.

"Because why not? Would you rather talk about war? I don't." Naomi quipped and stuck her perfectly curved nose up in the air. Kevin would be lying if he said she didn't remind him of Edd sometimes.

"I guess that's fair. Um, well she's a big-shot doctor. Ma was in charge of her last hospital but she came home when some doctor called her and said that Edd was in the hospital. I remember I literally told her that I hated her guts to her face...but now I couldn't picture a better mom if I tried. She's been looking out for the both of us since she came home."

"Well she sounds like a very wonderful woman...but why was Edd in the hospital?" she asked, trying her damnedest to tiptoe around what could be a very sensitive subject. Naomi hated it when Kevin got sad because in some way, it made her sad as well.

"Some beefy football player beat the shit out of him. Edd tried to play it cool but his stomach was torn open and he started...never mind. The last part doesn't matter but he was _so_ pissed when he found out the doctor got a hold of her he started throwin' shit at her. It was scary but Edd always threatens to throw things at me now when he gets mad."

Naomi smiled at the dreamy look on Kevin's face. _"He looks so happy..."_ she thought, turning her head away as a dark blush crept over her cheeks.

"Eh? You okay Naomi?" he asked, leaning over to try to look at her face. Deep chocolate brown eyes met rich forest green and... "Damn, gotta get you outta the heat. You look like you're burnin' up." Kevin grumbled as he tugged Naomi into the shaded part of the street. She was indeed thankful that he blamed her flushed cheeks on the intense heat of the sun. It would have been awkward for her if she had to explain how she was absolutely infatuated with the engaged man.

...

"How did you get this, Eddward?"

"O-oh, um. I was reached for a bowl on the top shelf and it fell on me."

Christine raised a perfect eyebrow at her son's lame excuse for a story. She was currently nursing a large bruise and small laceration on his left temple. "Oh really? Is that what happened?"

Edd lowered his nervous gaze to the floor as she continued to stare him down. "Y-yes." he said in a small voice as she finished taping a piece of gauze to the wound. Christine merely sighed and took off her exam gloves with an irritated snap. Edd wouldn't dare tell her the truth about what happened. He didn't think he could stomach the look on her face if he told her that he caught his head on the corner of a cabinet when his legs went fuzzy. He went down like a sack of rocks.

"I don't know why you do this Edd. I really don't. Why do you keep denying everyone's offer to help you."

Edd winced at his mother's tone, knowing that she only ever called him "Edd" when she was very cross with him. No, not Eddward Marion Vincent, but just Edd.

"You don't know, Mother." he said in a quiet voice as he played with one of his tubes.

"What don't I know? I know everything about this Edd! I've spent the last decade researching and conducting trials on how to cure inoperable brain tumors. Of course I-"

"No! You don't! You know nothing at all!" Edd cried out, snapping Christine out of her angry rant. She stared at her son with wide eyes, noticing the redness of his face and the tears that were building up in his eyes. "You...you don't know. You have _no_ idea how much it takes for me to live my life anymore. For how long it takes me to crawl out of bed in the mornings, stomach a meal, you have no idea." he said in a shaken voice, the woman began to deflate against the counter as she absorbed her son's words.

"It's so...so _fucking hard_. Everything is a chore for me now. Do you know what it's like to be able to live your life normally and then have it all ripped out of your hands? I was _fine_ and then one day everything just went to shit! I'm trying to live my life as normal as possible because _I know_ that once I can't do it anymore...I-I don't have a plan after that. My life will be in the hands of a group of doctors. It won't be my own anymore. So no, you don't know." he finished with a huff and hopped down from the exam table.

"I-I hadn't realized. I'm sorry Eddward." Christine said, thoroughly appalled by her son's revelation. In all her years, she had never put herself in her patient's shoes. Now she was connecting with her son in ways she never thought she would and it was breaking her heart as she understood her words. Edd was trying to live his life while it was still his.

"Mother, I'm sorry for my outburst. I didn't intend to be so harsh." Edd said guiltily as he saw the deep sorrow that was etched into her pale face.

"No, you're right. But I'm starting to understand why you're doing what you're doing. But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying to help you my dear. Please let me in."

Edd and Christine held each other tightly for a moment. "Alright. I will." Edd said and buried his head into her shoulder. "And Mother?"

"Hm?" she mused as she rubbed small circles into his back lovingly.

"I'm sorry for the foul language, I was just frustrated."

Christine chucked and gave him a squeeze. "It's quite alright Eddward. No one's perfect."

...

"Naomi!"

The small woman jumped from her spot from her side beside the red-head, her eye's drooping a little from her interrupted nap. "Huh-what?" she mumbled and leaned over to see what the man was so excited about.

"I got an e-mail from him!" he said happily and gave her the goofiest grin his face could manage. Naomi rubbed the sleep away from her eyes and scooted closer to Kevin so she could see the screen.

"Well, go ahead. Read it aloud to the class Mr. Barr." she joked and leaned back in her chair, letting out a mighty yawn.

Kevin chuckled and clicked the mouse a few times. "You think you're _so_ funny, don't you?"

"I sure do. Now read." she said and Kevin rolled his eyes with a grin still plastered across his face.

 _Kevin,_

 _I can't describe how happy I am to finally hear from you. Mother sends her love her usual threats to come home unscathed. Be prepared for a full blown party on your next leave my darling._

 _I'm as well as I can be though. Mother and Eddy have ignored my requests to live alone and are now constantly dropping by to check on me. I'm a grown man, Kevin. You would think they'd know that, but no. Even Veronica dropped by to have dinner with me last night. She's the woman who's done all my beautiful tattoos, I want you to meet her next time you come home. She's wonderful._

 _I miss you so much Kevin, so much that it hurts sometimes. I just keep thinking about that little girl we're going to have and it takes away the pain for a little while. I love you, you're my everything. Please come home safe to me soon so I can stop worrying for a little bit._

 _Always yours,_

 _Eddward_

Naomi watched Kevin's face as his dreamy smile turned into sad one and he closed out of his e-mail after a few moments of silence. "Kev...what's wrong? I thought you were happy?"

"I am," he said, wiping away what she thought to be a stray tear and sighed. "It's just..."

Naomi put a delicate hand on his forearm out of comfort. "It's okay Kev, you can tell me, but only if you want to."

Kevin steered his sad gaze down at the small woman before him. Her wild black hair, wide eyes and...she even had a small gap in her teeth. It was like being with Edd, except he knew he wasn't. It hurt.

"He's sick and he's downplaying it to save my feelings." Kevin said and put a hand over his eyes. Naomi put an arm around his narrow waist and led him outside where it was more private. She enjoyed the feeling of his tight muscles under thin shirt as they walked.

"So what? he's got a cold or somethin'? I think it's very considerate what he's doing for you Kev. We're in the middle of a war right now. You could get killed if you're not thinking straight."

Kevin nodded as he accepted the reasoning behind her words. "It's not that simple. He's..."

Naomi listened with wide eyes as Kevin explained the situation. In the midst of the conversation, Kevin had started to choke back heavy sobs and Naomi pulled him into a tight hug. "It'll be okay Kev, I'm here."

 _I'll always be here._


	40. Indefinite

Author's Note: I'm back sooner than I planned, which is good I suppose. If any of you guys are interested, I've been making some kevedd sketch dumps on my Tumblr (same name). I've started taking requests as well, so yeah. It is what it is.

I'd also like to apologize in advance.

* * *

Christine twisted her long black hair into a messy bun on the top of her head as she began to prepare dinner for Edd and herself. She donned an old pair of bunny slippers and a floral apron as she grabbed various types of vegetables from the fridge. It had become a routine for the two of them, having dinners together. Every night Christine would make sure that she got off work on time to spend a couple hours with her son in the evenings. Edd's home had become a safe haven to him as he hated going anywhere these days. Trips to the store were often filled with sideways glances and nosy woman and children that asked why he was so thin or where all the bruises came from. Once he had confided in his mother about the issue, she immediately stepped in to help. Every weekend she would go out and buy the groceries for Edd, she would always bag up a few jawbreakers from the candy isle for him. She knew they were his favorite.

She chopped up the vegetables quickly as she tried to ignore the harsh coughs that emitted from Edd's room. The boy was steadily getting worse and they both knew it. However it was law that Edd's health was not to be discussed during dinner, it was the only time that the mother and son duo could pretend everything was fine. "So what did you do today?" the mother asked once dinner was finally served.

Edd swirled his spoon around in the vegetable soup in thought. "Marie Kanker called me today so we talked for a little while. She might be coming down for a little bit in the spring to visit."

"That's nice. You two were close, weren't you?" Christine asked as she took a spoonful of soup into her mouth, Edd nodded.

"Yes, she and Eddy are my closest friends. We all used to spend a lot of time together when we were in school." he explained as he watched his soup cool before taking a small bite. He really needed to try to eat more. The sight of the hip bones jutting out from under his own skin was frightening to look at.

"I think I remember meeting her at one point, she seemed like very nice young woman. Have you been keeping in touch with Kevin lately?"

Edd nodded and took another bite. "Yes, we've been managing an e-mail everyday. He always talks about how hot it is." he giggled and Christine smiled. His face always managed to light up whenever he talked about Kevin. "He also made some new friends over there as well."

Christine's eyes lit up at this information. "Oh, that's wonderful! It's good to have friends in different places. It gives him a shoulder to lean on when things get tough, especially when our country's at war. I hope he's doing okay..." she mused, setting her spoon down and looking out through the window above the kitchen sink. Edd placed a thin hand over hers and gave a smile.

"I'm sure he is, Kevin's always been tough. Besides, he knows what we'll do to him if he comes back wounded." Edd chuckled at the playful gleam in his mother's eye at his words.

"Ah yes, we'll kill him ourselves." she joked and the two began to relax into the peaceful evening.

...

"Fuck-" Kevin grunted as he backed against a large piece of debris and regained a hold on his weapon. Gunfire was rampant throughout the area as the enemy continued to set off a series of organized bombs throughout the town and the soldiers were struggling to gain control. A bullet zoomed by the red-head's ear as he went to peer around the edge of concrete, but he didn't jump. This had happened a few times before, but now the attacks were becoming more frequent for some reason. Maybe the enemy was getting anxious that yet another squadron had dropped by the base once the threat-level had been raised, Kevin didn't know. All he wanted was to get those damn bastards to stop shooting for one second so that _he_ could get a good shot in.

He peered around the rock once more and spotted one of the men who were responsible for the uproar. Carefully Kevin raised his gun, aimed, and after a few seconds, fired. The man went down like a ton of bricks and Kevin almost smiled. _Almost._ He fired a few more rounds as he began to spot more of the rebels. The gunshots were horribly loud as they popped in his ears, making him wince every now and then. Kevin pulled back behind the debris to reload his gun when something caught his eye.

Across the way, Jackson was in the same predicament as Kevin. Huddled behind a large piece of concrete that had fallen off of one of the buildings during an explosion and clutching his gun for dear life. The guy didn't seem much for the art of war like Kevin was.

The red-head looked around quickly as he realized that it was only the two soldiers in the area. The situation was getting hopeless as the enemy outnumbered them by at least four men and Jackson looked too scared shitless to fire his gun. Kevin reached for the walkie-talkie on his belt and pulled it up to his face, a flurry of slang and codes flew from his lips.

 _"Reinforcements are on the way. Over and out."_

Later that night Kevin found himself standing alone in the showers, his hands pressed up against the wall with his head hung low. He could still hear the faint sounds of popping guns ringing in his ears as the water rained down on him, washing away any trace of sweat and grime. The water had long gone cold but he didn't care. Things had gone from bad to worse today.

Jackson was killed in the field before help arrived. At eighteen he was still just a kid with whole life ahead of him but then some bastard with a gun comes out and ends it all with a few bullets. The two had become close friends in the months that had passed and seeing the kid die before his very eyes- it would stay with him forever. Kevin thought it was unfair how life played out sometimes. Mothers leave, fathers turn into drunks, friends die in combat, loved ones get cancer...

 _"Everything is so fucked up."_ Kevin thought rather angrily as he pinched the bridge of his nose tightly. He took a moment to compose himself before turning off the freezing water and stepping out of the stall. He wasn't surprised when Don and Naomi were waiting for him outside.

"Hey." Naomi said, leaning against the spot of the building with her arms crossed tightly against her breasts.

"Hey." Kevin said dully, allowing his friends to follow along behind him as he made his way back to the trailer that he once shared with Jackson.

...

Christine rubbed soothing circles onto Edd's back as harsh coughs continued to wrack his body. They were currently sitting on the couch, lights dimmed down to accommodate the movie playing on the flat screen TV. "It's okay Eddward, just breathe." she cooed as the poor boy tried to catch his breath.

He inhaled shakily as he continued to cough. "I'm trying." Edd said with a hoarse voice, speaking through the handkerchief he had pressed to his mouth. "My head hurts so much..." he moaned, his body continued to shake through the fits and Christine had decided that enough was enough.

"I can't let you do this anymore. I'm drawing the line Edd. I know it's not what you want, but it's- _Oh my God._ "

Edd peeled the cloth away from his face and they both froze. Matching sets of cerulean eyes met each other with worried gazes and Christine jumped up from her spot. "M-Mom?" Edd called out to her in a shaken voice. The woman said nothing as she grabbed his coat from the entryway closet and a few other blankets. Christine tossed them on one of the lounging chairs before walking over to the kitchen sink to wet down a paper towel.

"Oh, Edd..." she said as she sat down and gingerly cleaned up the blood that was pouring from his small nose. "Tip your head back please. It should stop then." she said and Edd silently did as he was told. After Christine was done she leaned over and snatched his winter coat from the chair and slung it around his shoulders.

"Are we leaving now?" Edd asked once his mother handed him another washcloth to catch the blood with and then pulled him up off the couch gently.

"Yes...we are." she said with sad eyes as her son practically deflated before her very eyes. "I'm sorry."

Edd snuggled into his coat as they walked out into the chilled autumn air. Christine kept a firm hold around his thin waist to keep him steady as they moved. The ride to the hospital was spent in tense silence as the two were lost in their troubling thoughts.

Soon they were pulling up to the hospital and once inside Christine was immediately welcomed by many of the staff members while some others merely stared at the fragile teen that the doctor was hugging to her side. After finding a wheelchair for Edd, they made their way over to the nurses station. A short older nurse was sitting there with her reading glasses, staring hard at something in front of her.

"Hello Rosa, can you check us in?" Christine greeted with a tried smile, her hands firmly gripping the handle's of Edd's wheelchair.

The woman's head snapped up to meet the doctor's gaze and reflected Chirstine's smile. "It's a bit late for a check-up, isn't it?"

Edd fought the urge to roll his eyes and looked up over at the woman. "You know why I'm here Rosa, don't play." he said, wagging a finger at her. The older nurse had been fawning over and taking care of him for months now, she was Edd's absolute favorite nurse.

Rosa took off her glasses and rubbed her forehead tiredly. "Si, si (Yes, yes). I know, I'll set up a room for you. How long do you suppose you'll be staying?" she asked, looking between the mother ans son duo.

"Indefinite." Edd said, leaning his throbbing head back a little and closed his eyes. Rosa said no more and led them to a spare room until his was ready.

What was he supposed to tell Kevin?


	41. Skinny Love

Author's Note: My story has just leaked into my life and it's awful. The way Kevin hurts is truly authentic.

Song choices of the chapter:

 _Skinny Love_ by Birdy.

 _Lost Boy_ by Ruth B.

* * *

A few weeks went by and Edd had been settled into his new home that was his hospital room. Christine had recruited Eddy to help her move some of her son's things into the room to make it a little more comfortable for him. A few thick books were arranged neatly in the little table next to the bed and the standard blanket on his bed was replaced with one of the quilts that Kevin's mother once made. Squares of fabric were sewn together into an abstract picture that Edd thought was absolutely lovely.

Word had somehow gotten out that Edd was staying indefinitely at the hospital and he had received a flurry of visitors. Besides Eddy and Lee by default, it was Ed and May that came first, then Sarah and Jimmy, and then surprisingly Eduardo. The Latino heartthrob didn't have his usual Kevin-worthy cocky smirk on his face, but instead held a sullen expression. At the moment he stood awkwardly in the doorway to Edd's room, not looking up to meet the piercing gaze of a certain set of blue eyes. "A-ah, hello Edd."

"Hello Eduardo. What're you doing here?" Edd asked, pulling his black zip-up hoodie closer to his body to hide the thin fabric of his hospital gown. The young man in the doorway finally lifted his head to meet the sick teen before him and frowned deeply. Edd looked so...small.

"I uh, I brought these for you." he said, clutching a small bundle of flowers with both hands and Edd could hear the tissue around the stems crunch under the tension of his hands. Eduardo noticed the uncomfortable look on the other's face and sighed silently. "I brought them as a friend, Edd. I realize we didn't end on the best of terms but that doesn't mean that I don't still care about you, because I do."

"As a friend." Edd stated as the Latino stepped forward and carefully handed the flowers to him. Eduardo inwardly cringed as Edd's ice cold fingers brushed against his own.

"Yes, as a friend. May I sit?" Eduardo asked once the bouquet was out of his hands. Edd nodded as he turned the bundle of flowers over in his hands as he looked at them with a small sparkle in his eyes. It was a chaotic mix of bluebell flowers and small bushels of lilac and it smelled _wonderful._ Edd ignored the fact that both of the types of flowers were totally out of season as he brought the bouquet to his face to inhale the intoxicating scent.

"So...this is really happening." Eduardo said quietly as he leaned back in his chair, gazing at the beanie clad teen in the bed.

"Indeed."

"It looks homey in here."

"Mother wanted to make me feel comfortable while I stay here."

"How long?"

"I don't know."

Eduardo pursed his full lips and turned his head away from his ex-boyfriend in slight frustration. "Eduardo, what did you really come to say? Clearly not for some casual conversation..." Edd asked, setting the flowers aside and settled back onto the bed as his back started to bother him.

The Latino sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Uh, yes. I wanted to put our past to rest...that's why I came."

Edd's eyes widened at the man's words but clamped his mouth shut and waited for him to continue. "I'm sorry for everything. I knew I was an ass back then, I hurt you so much. Sometimes I can still see the look in your eyes when..." Eduardo paused, taking a breath to steady himself.

"When I found you in the school restroom with Kim Flores, in a closet with Darla Reed, and in your _car_ with Derick Lee. Yes, it would be a safe assumption that my feelings were hurt at the time." Edd said in a monotone voice and turning his head away. "Having sex with multitudes of people behind your partner's back does tend to ruin a relationship."

Eduardo's face passed through about five shades of red before it landed back to its original tan color. "I certainly was a character back then huh?" he said with a nervous chuckle, avoiding the hard glare he was currently receiving by lowering his head. The man was absolutely mortified at the moment. Sure, he had thought about his actions from time to time but never had it been so bluntly said to his face before. Eduardo felt like a slut and a complete jackass for ruining his longest relationship in such a way, however it was his longest for a reason.

Four years ago, Edd had been easy to control. He was small, shy, and weak, but oh so cute. He would never argue or protest, and a kiss would always get him to shut up. Edd was like Eduardo's safety net in a way; if the person he picked up for a good time backed out, Edd was always waiting for him at his house. At first the Latino was very good at hiding his affairs with other people, but after six months of sneaking around Eduardo stopped caring. Some days he _wanted_ Edd to catch him in the act. He wanted something more than his timid little boyfriend, but that was all Edd was back then and when Eduardo realized this, he got mad. He blamed Edd for all the affairs as he was too timid to satisfy the Latino and the poor boy took all of the abuse in stride. Never once did he ask to leave Eduardo's side; Edd knew it would end up in another dreadful fight anyways.

A year and a half later, Edd was finally set free. Eduardo had moved to a town a couple hours away and broke it off immediately. The smartest of the Eds was incredibly relieved, but it would take Ed and Eddy a year to build him back up again to the happy teen he once was.

The conversation between the ex-lovers quickly fizzled out and soon there was nothing left to say. Both were left fuming with regret and anger towards Eduardo and Eduardo''s actions in the past. Eventually they realized that there was never anything to fix as there were simply no good feelings left to work with. The Latino stepped towards the doorway and gave one more longing gaze to the young man Eduardo once thought he loved before walking out.

Edd never saw Eduardo again.

Days passed slowly as life in the hospital was boring for the young genius. His health had hit a plateau for the time being as he was neither worse nor better. When his friends would ask how he was doing, Edd would simply reply that he was alive. The load of medications he was on kept on firm haze over his mind and eyes so the teen was constantly fighting for a clear head. Even though it was maddeningly frustrating for Edd, it helped when Kevin would go long periods without any form of contact. An e-mail everyday had turned into four days a week, then two, then hardly anything. It had been almost a week and a half since the last short e-mail. It had the usual "I love you" and "I miss you" with a sliver of how Kevin has fairing, but that was all he wrote.

Edd tried not to let it get to him, but he missed his love terribly. It had been months since he gazed into those lovely green eyes or touched the perfectly tanned skin. This was where the medicine came in though, Edd would give into the fogginess in his head and just sleep.

"Edd, sweetheart. Wake up." a voice cooed and gently nudged his shoulder. Edd opened his bleary eyes and blinked slowly before letting his head roll to the side.

"Hm?"

Christine smiled and waved a phone in his face. "You have a phone call."

Edd sat up after a few seconds and shook his head a little to clear away the fuzziness. "Hello?"

The line crackled for a few moments as if the person had dropped the phone. _"Edd? 'sat you?"_ a husky voice spoke from the other end and Edd's spare hand flew to cover his mouth in shock.

"K-Kevin? How-?" Edd sputtered, still in a state of disbelief. Kevin chuckled an the line crackled a little bit more. "How are you?" Edd asked finally, blinking away the last of the haze in his eyes.

 _"I'm okay, but I'm glad I finally got a hold of you. I've been trying for the past week to get to this goddamned phone. The USO's pulled out cause things are gettin' a little rough down here."_

Edd's eyebrows furrowed a little at the words. "Rough? What's happening? Are you safe?"

Kevin chuckled again. _"I'll be fine, I promise. Can't get rid of me that easily Babe, how're you?"_

"I'm-" Edd paused and looked over at his mother who had taken a seat in a nearby chair with a book. She met his gaze over the edge of the thick book but said nothing, her eyes were unreadable. "I'm doing okay right now. My head's just a little fuzzy from all the medication."

 _"But you're okay? What does okay mean? I know how you like to downplay things Edd, so don't play me or I swear to God."_

Edd couldn't help but giggle into the phone at the halfhearted threat. "You swear to God that what?"

The line was silent for a moment before Kevin spoke again. _"I will purposely shoot myself in the leg so I can come home and beat you with your house slippers for lying to me. That's what. What-Naomi, quit it! I'm trying to talk here-what. No. No you can't talk to him. I only get a few minutes and I am NOT sharing with-"_

Edd held the phone away from his ear slightly as Kevin and a woman named Naomi made the line pop and crackle loudly. "Kevin." he said, trying to catch the soldier's attention but it was in vain. The two sounded like they were in a full-blown scuffle over the phone.

 _"Wait, no. I'm not done with that! No, no, no, no, no, NO-"_

Edd sighed heavily as the line went dead and set the phone down on the small table beside him. "So what did Kevin say?" Chistine asked, setting the book back into its rightful spot.

"He said he loved and missed me, the usual." Edd said with a tired smile and slipped his hat off to give his scalp some fresh air.

Christine smiled a little and stood up from the chair. "That's good. How about some piano exercises then? It's been a while."

Edd was quiet for a moment before he nodded and slipped his beanie back on. "That sounds nice."

...

 _C'mon skinny love, just last the year,_

 _Pour a little salt, we were never here._

 _My, my, my. My, my, my, my-my, my._

 _Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer._

 _I tell my love to wreck it all,_

 _Cut out all the ropes and let me fall..._


	42. The Mistake

Author's Note: Tumblr will be the death of me, I swear but more so to all those sweet reviews I received from that last chapter.

*blushes fiercely*

*pulls hood over face*

*sobs*

Song choice for the chapter:

 _Not About Angels_ by Birdy

* * *

Naomi bit her full lip and wearily turned to the red-head as his call was ended by another soldier that wanted to talk to his family. Kevin's shoulders looked incredibly tense as they squared themselves; Naomi could just see the shell of his ears turn a bright red. "K-Kev?" she asked, reaching out a hesitant hand towards his broad shoulder. Kevin let out an almost animalistic snarl as he stood up off the dusty ground and stormed out of the shelter. Naomi quickly scrambled up and followed him out, ignoring the staring eyes of the other soldiers in the area. "Kev, wait! I'm sorry-"

Kevin merely ignored the woman's desperate pleas and increased his speed as he walked towards his lonely trailer. If Jackson were here, he could have had someone to vent to about this, but he wasn't. Jackson was dead, shipped back to the US in a box now six feet in the ground. Don had begun to isolate himself over the loss of his best friend and Naomi-well, she was the problem at the moment. The woman had ruined probably one of the few chances he had at talking to his love, albeit accidentally, but still. The bombings were becoming more frequent and security was becoming increasingly tight so all ways of communication to the outside world had been cut off, save for that one phone. That _one_ stupid phone he had been waiting forever to use was being disconnected and all soldiers were fighting to get one last word in with their loved ones in case anything were to happen in the upcoming weeks ahead.

"Kevin, stop-"

The red-head whirled around to jab a finger in Naomi's face. "No, you stop. Thanks to _you_ I just lost what might be my last chance to talk to Edd for only God knows how long! What if he's worse than he was? What if he's lying sick in a hospital? I don't know! Shit, Naomi! The fuck?!"

The woman deflated a little at his angry outburst but put on a brave face. "Listen, I'm sorry Kevin. I really am, I was just playin' around..."

Kevin scoffed and turned away to finish the trek to his small home, Naomi still trailing behind him. "And I heard it! He said he was okay, right? At least you have the comfort of knowing that! If he really loved you, he wouldn't lie to you Kev." she reasoned, trotting up to his side. Green eyes glared down at her from underneath the shadow of his hat but that didn't deter the young woman.

"Don't." he said in a low voice and shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

"Don't what?"

Kevin sighed in aggravation as he finally reached the door to his trailer. "Don't go and- and _question_ him! I know he loves me! Edd wouldn't lie, not now. Not when we're both in situations like this. So don't. I know him, I love him more than anything, so if he says he's okay, then I'll believe him even if I don't want to."

Naomi quirked an eyebrow as they entered his trailer, Kevin was so caught up in his own anger that he didn't notice the extra presence in the room. "I'm not questioning his love for you, I'm just stating a fact. Like, _I_ would never lie to you if we were in that situation." she explained, a faint blush dancing across her ebony cheeks at the thought of the two of them together. They could be happy, always be each other's side, only a town away back home...

Kevin was silent for a moment as his anger ebbed away, but Naomi could still see those green eyes smoldering with frustration. She laid a gentle hand on his forearm before she spoke. "It was an accident, I'm sorry...I would never lie to you Kev."

After a moment or two, the tall soldier turned around to face Naomi with a softened expression. Her hand had ended up cupping his strong bicep as he turned around, the contact between the two comforted Kevin a little though contact in general was something he missed dearly. The way Edd would run his hands through his hair, kiss the tip of his nose when he was frustrated, or trace little patterns on his stomach when they laid in bed at night. He missed it all...Kevin was lonely.

Naomi pulled at his arm and brought him into a gentle hug. She released his arm and wrapped her arms around his slim waist, leaning her head into the strong chest she had grown to love over the months. Wait- _love?_ Naomi blinked a few times as the word was tossed around in her head. True, the two had had their moments every now in then, offering comforting touches to one another when spirits were down, quiet talks, hushed voices, lingering touches...

She snapped out of her thoughts when she felt a pair of toned arms wrap around her curvy frame and Kevin buried his face in the top of her head. Naomi couldn't held but blush again as she was pulled flush against the tall man. She could just barely feel the bumps of his hipbones against her lower stomach and it made her stomach flutter wildly. Naomi slowly raised her head to look at Kevin and she saw something she had never seen in his eyes before. The look was something she simply couldn't describe. Frustration? Contemplation? Lust? Anger? Perhaps it was a mix between all of them and it send another fluttering sensation to her stomach and the area below it. Kevin, on the other hand, was trying to push aside his hurt feelings to keep the only friend he had left in the whole country. He already lost Jackson and Don so he sure as well wasn't about to lose Naomi over a phone call.

"Naomi." he breathed, and she practically shivered at the way Kevin said her name. Green met smoldering brown and Kevin leaned in head down just the slightest bit and she immediately reacted by getting up on her tiptoes. Naomi's conscious argued desperately with her- the man was engaged. They had literally just been fighting over the strength Kevin and Edd's love a moment ago, and now they were about to change everything. Naomi was finally getting her chance with the man she adored, while Kevin was merely trying to chase away the loneliness and anger that plagued him.

Naomi shut her eyes as their lips grew closer, ignoring the sound of blood rushing through her ears. His breath ghosted across her face and her heart was beating wildly at this point. "Naomi...I-I can't. I'm sorry."

Their faces were still only centimeters away from each other when Naomi opened her wide eyes. Kevin's tanned face had donned a light blush and his eyes where still closed. His lips were pressed into a thin line as the gravity of the situation landed on him. Naomi scowled at him but damn it, she _wanted_ this- no, she needed this. She needed him.

"Maybe you can't...but I can." Naomi said, plucking up every once of courage she had and pressed her lips to his hastily. She knew she was being selfish by putting her wants ahead of Kevin's cloudy conscious, but Naomi didn't care in the slightest as she was finally able to get a taste of Kevin Barr.

Kevin froze when Naomi started to kiss him but he couldn't help but melt into the embrace. His loneliness and guilt ebbed away quickly as their lips meshed together. Naomi's heart jumped up into her throat when she realized that the man was actually kissing her back so with a smile on her full lips, her arms let go of him momentarily so that she could wrap them around his neck. She pulled down on him gently to deepen the sweet kiss into a passionate one and all the stress and worry was cleared out of his head. There was no war, no loneliness, and no cancer. At the moment there was just a pair of lips on his that granted him a sense of peace.

The two backed tracked a few steps so that Kevin's back was pressed against a wall as the kiss turned even more passionate and feverish. Kevin squeezed Naomi's hips in a way that made her moan deliciously and Kevin froze. He slid his tongue out from the woman's open mouth and pulled back to look at her with wide eyes. In his mind, the way the lips moved so perfectly with his, it was Edd that was kissing him. A healthy, vibrant version of the man instead of the cancer-stricken one back home. In the silence of their make-out session, Kevin began to picture the shaggy black hair and the smooth expanse of his beautiful pale skin. Edd would loop his arms around Kevin's neck to pull him down for a deeper kiss because he was so much shorter then he, it was almost the exact same thing- except for the moan. It was that of a woman's and not just any woman, it was Naomi. True, she was smart, funny, and incredibly sexy, but she was no Edd. What had he just done?

"Kev, c'mon, don't stop." Naomi moaned, her hands sliding from his neck down to his strong, heaving chest.

Kevin blinked a few times to clear away the lust and avoided the deep chocolate eyes that wanted him. "I...I'm engaged. Oh, God. Ohhh my God..." he moaned and covered his face with his hands. "What the fuck am I supposed to tell Edd?! Jesus-FUCK!"

Naomi gently shushed the man and cupped his face with her hands. "It's okay Kev, I promise. No one has to know."

"N-no! It's not okay! I could have potentially fucked up the best relationship I've ever had! Jesus Christ he's been nothing but good to me and I go and pull some bullshit like this. What's wrong with me?"

"There's nothing wrong with you, you're human. Everybody makes mistakes Kevin." the woman said with a deep frown and leaned in close. "But...this wasn't a mistake to me. I really like you Kev, I do."

At this the man sunk down to the floor and pulled his knees up to his chest. Naomi stood and watched him for a moment before settling down on the floor beside him and gently grabbing one of his hands, lacing their fingers together. "Talk to me." she said.

"I don't know what you want me to say. I fucked up, that's it."

Naomi shook her head. "Tell me how you felt when it was happening."

Kevin paused for a moment before he finally looked up at her with a red face. "It felt..."

...

Christine rubbed circles on Edd's back as he violently got sick for the third time that day. Even though he hadn't stomached more than anything, the medication made his body hate itself.

"Stop crying, stop crying, stop crying..." Edd mumbled to himself over and over as a few stray tears rolled down his face. He hugged the small container that was half full of whatever was in his stomach to his chest. Edd's body was so achy and _so_ tired these past few days. Ever since his dropped call with Kevin a week ago, something had seemingly gone wrong inside his body.

Christine frowned deeply as she eyed how far his collar bones stuck out from under his skin. "Eddward...I think it's time."

Edd blinked away more of the frustrating tears and gazed at his mother. "Time for what?" he panted.

"I'm going to call Kevin and tell him the truth, then I'll stop by the lab and see how the doctors are progressing in their research. We can't waste anymore time, we need to act. For both yours and Kevin's sake."

Edd's stomach lurched and sparked a pain in his chest as he coughed. "O-okay."

Christine would end up spending the next few days trying everything to get a a hold of her future son-in-law.

...

 _We know full well there's just time, s_ _o is it wrong to dance this line?_

 _If your heart was full of love, c_ _ould you give it up?_

 _'Cause what about, what about angels? They will come, they will go, make us special._

 _Don't give me up._

 _Don't give...me up._


	43. Can't Help Falling in Love

Author's Note: If you didn't know, I'm doing previews of each chapter in gif form on my Tumblr!

Song choices for this chapter:

 _Stole the Show_ (single) by Parson James.

 _Can't Help Falling in Love_ by Haley Reinhart.

* * *

 _Wise men say, only fools rush in..._

Christine frowned deeply at the screen of her cell phone as the call ended. At the moment she was standing outside the hospital bundled up in her thickest winter jacket, it was now the middle of December which meant it had been a solid three weeks since Kevin's last form of contact. Every seemingly possible method of communication was cut off; Christine briefly recalled Edd saying something about the worsening circumstances in Afghanistan. It made sense, but it still angered her beyond all reasoning. Her baby boy was wasting away to nothing in a hospital and Kevin had yet to know the severity of the situation. For all he knew, Edd was still sitting pretty at home patiently awaiting his next return. Christine frowned deeper when the cold wind picked up and blew her scarf into her face, making her turn around and walk back inside the place she grew to hate so much.

The room was still the same as she had left it before she had walked out to make a few calls. Papers were strewn haphazardly on the table at the end of Edd's bed, thick books tucked away neatly under the bedside table, and the sleeping teen in the bed. Edd's team of neurosurgeons had come to a conclusion to sedate him to help with the pain and slow the activity in his brain. That had been three days ago and the boy now had a feeding and oxygen tube attached to him, making Edd look that much worse. However without the sedation, it was evident through his actions how sick he truly was. Decidedly, his piano days were behind him once again and the tingling in his legs had turned to numbness which rendered Edd bedridden until the doctors had an answer for him. The medication had eventually placed his mind in such a foggy state, he was unable to hold decent conversations. So most days Edd would simply lay in bed and watch the snow fall outside from his window. Christine felt he was more at peace in his "sleeping" state.

 _But I can't help falling in love with you..._

Sighing, the woman shrugged off her winter coat and slung it across the back of a nearby chair. She promptly slunk down in that same chair and pulled out her phone once more. What more could she do to try to get a hold of Kevin? Three weeks of failed attempts hadn't deterred her by any means, but the frustration was real. Christine rubbed her graying temples wearily at the oncoming headache.

"Hey Mama V," a voice said gently. Christine lifted up her head to see a tired looking Eddy shuffling into the room. "How's he doing?"

"There's no change, he's still sedated." she said, sliding her eyes over to her ill son.

Eddy shivered a little as he took off his coat and took the time to hang it up in the little closet by the door. "That's good right? He's not any worse?"

Christine almost smiled at the concern in the boy's voice. Eddy had been a true friend in her son's time of need. He had come by every single day for a few hours, telling Edd what was happening in the news, bits about pop culture, and even science articles he knew his friend would find interesting. Even when Edd had been sedated a few days ago, Eddy never stopped talking to him. The shorter teen would just sit beside the bed and pretend that Edd was listening and it touched Christine to no end. If she had known that her son had been gifted with such a devoted friend, she would have outright adopted him years ago. "Yeah, it's a good thing." the tired mother said, finally bringing herself to smile at the young man before her.

 _Oh shall I stay? Would it be a sin?_

"Have you gotten a hold of Jockstra-er, Kevin? How's that goin'?" Eddy asked as he took his usual seat beside the bed.

Christine sighed and shook her head. "No luck. He's cut off from any outside communication. All the phones and the internet there are down. I really don't know what else to do at this point."

Eddy made a little humming noise and pulled at his bottom lip in thought. "Damn. And...he doesn't know?"

"Kevin has no idea. Even if I _did_ somehow reach him, I have no idea how I'd break the news to him. It's just-" Christine took a shuddering breath and squeezed her eyes shut. "it's just that, Edd could _die_ from this and what would I tell Kevin? He's like a second son to me, what am I supposed to say to him if something terrible happens? I feel so lost right now..."

"What about letters?" Eddy tried, letting go of his lip and slumping against the back of the chair lazily. Christine thought about it for a second before running a hand through her hair.

"I haven't tried that yet, but I suppose it's worth a try. But I still don't know what to say to him." she said.

Eddy nodded in understanding, staring intently at the sedated teen before him. Edd's small chest rose and feel slowly, almost as if he were waiting to hear what Eddy had to say.

"Listen, I'm no good with mushy-feely mumbo jumbo but Brick-ugh, _Kevin_ and I have come to an understanding over the past few months. I mean, we're not best friends or anything but we do have our manly talks, y'know?" he explained with a few hand gestures and Christine merely cocked an eyebrow for Eddy to continue. "I'm not afraid to be honest with him when it comes to Double D and he knows it. Whenever he's made Edd upset, I've been there to kick his ass in line. So if you want, I can write the letter to him."

 _Oh if I can't help falling in love with you..?_

Christine's eyes misted over as she listened to Eddy's crude but caring words and she quickly tried to blink the strong emotions away. "T-that would be...thank you Eddy. I'm glad my son has someone like you in his life."

Eddy's face flushed the tiniest bit at the compliment and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "T-thanks Mama V, it's no problem."

The tender moment between the two was quickly interrupted by a soft knock on the door. "Christine? May we come in?" an older doctor said, poking his head into the room. Christine nodded a little and sat up straighter as a small group of doctors shuffled into the room, each holding a folder or large envelope of some sort.

"What have you got?" the mother asked, wringing her hands together much like her son. A few glances were spared between the doctors and the oldest looking one stepped forward.

"After looking over all the scans, tests, blood work- everything, we've come up with a single answer for your son's condition." he said, clutching a thick stack of papers in his aged hands. Both Eddy and Christine leaned forward in their chairs in anticipation.

"And?" Christine asked with a tiny glint of hope in her eyes.

 _Oh like a river flows, surely to the sea..._

The doctor took a breath before continuing. "Your son's tumor, it's unpredictable. You yourself know that there's only been a handful of cases, roughly fifty, like this in the entirety of the world. The results are usually...grim. Though Edd has lived far longer than expected, it reminds us that miracles _do_ happen. Your son is a miracle, Christine. So, through hours of debating and months of research, we've all come to the decision that Edd should have the procedure done."

"W-what?" Christine deflated, knowing putting her son under the knife was risking everything. She hadn't been hoping for some magical potion to fix everything in a snap, but this was just...insane. "You all know how risky that is! His body is too weak for surgery. Besides-"

"Christine, there's no other option." the doctor said, effectively cutting her off. The words rang loudly in her ears.

 _Darling so it goes, some things are meant to be..._

"He's...Edd's dying. I understand your doubts for success considering the circumstances, but taking a shot to save his life is better than standing around and doing nothing. There's a possibility we remove the entirety of the tumor, followed up by months of follow up chemotherapy and rehabilitation, he will live a long and happy life. This isn't a certain death situation, but if we wait around any longer, it will be. So please," he said, his voice growing to a quiet plea at the end of his little speech. "Please sign the forms so we can still have him here for Christmas. He's a good kid, Christine. Everybody's rooting for him."

Christine had broken down into full blown sobs sometime through the older doctor's words and was nodding shakily, accepting the terrible truth. Without the surgery, Edd would die a slow and drug-induced death and with it, he could bleed out right on that very table or live a long and happy life with children and grandchildren. "Okay, I'll sign. But we need to let Edd know what's going on. He deserves that."

"Of course, but this needs to happen soon so we're going to wake him up now." one of the other doctors said and they began to scatter around the room to prep for the surgery. Eddy's hands still gently grounded her as they rubbed her back in comfort. In the midst of her bawling, Eddy had abandoned his spot to comfort his best friend's mother. Christine made a mental note to thank his mother for raising such a wonderful boy.

 _Take my hand, take my whole life too.._

About fifteen minutes later, an intern was standing over Edd, taking the medicated IV drip away from the sleeping boy. Christine knew it would take a while for Edd to wake up as the medication wore off, but now time just seemed to creep by. Minutes seemed like hours as she waited for his eyelids to flutter open, but they would remain closed for another hour.

They could tell when the hour was up when Edd's face began to scrunch the tiniest bit. Soon the merely knotted eyebrows turned into gasps for air as the pain increased. Wide cerulean eyes scanned the room before him to find the reason for the intense pain after so long of peace. Christine grabbed one of his tense hands in her own and smoothed a hand over his sweaty forehead. "It's okay Sweetheart, mommy's here. You're okay." she cooed, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. "We just woke you up to tell you what's going to happen.

Edd panted and writhed a little in his bed. Christine fought back her own tears as stray ones quickly made their way down his face. "Please, just..." Edd panted heavily, the headache he sported was pounding fiercely. "Just let me go back to sleep!"

"The doctors are going to operate on you soon, Edd. I wanted to let you know. I thought you deserved that." Christine said with a thick voice as she watched her son writhe in pain. "Next time you wake up, you'll be good as new, I promise."

Edd squeezed his eyes shut and inhaled a staggering breath before letting out a heavy sob. "I don't want to wake up anymore, please, please, please..."

Christine's eyes went wide at her son's words. "W-what? Edd..." she paused, her mind drawing a blank. What happened to her son that was acting so brave a few days ago? "Why would you say that?"

"T-the pain is s-so bad, Mom." Edd said, his body visibly shaking and the other doctors gathered around him in case anything was about to happen. "Everyday, it g-gets worse, b-but I care about your f-feelings more t-than mine...so I..."

 _Cause I can't help, falling in love with you..._

Edd started to seize harshly in the bed and the doctors swarmed around the convulsing teen. He was turned on his side as a flurry of medications flew from the lead doctor's lips and interns scrambled around to retrieve the correct one. Christine and Eddy were ushered out into the hall by a nurse and the tired mother finally broke down all the way.

Eddy ended up leading her to a quiet waiting room so that she could wail in private over her son and his words. So while Christine cried, Eddy began his heartbreaking letter to his best friend's fiance who was a world away, oblivious to everything going wrong back home.


	44. Welcome to the Vault

Author's Note: Dshell99 owns Angela "Princess" Jackson.

I own Sy. Do you know why?

(When you get to the end of the chapter, please don't panic. Don't think the worst, I'm not heartless, and I'm not killing either Edd nor Kevin off until their like **103 years old. Please.** )

Song choices for this chapter:

 _Vanilla Twilight_ by Owl City

 _Afire Love_ by Ed Sheeran

* * *

Eddy had sealed up the thin envelope shortly before his best friend went into surgery the next afternoon. He had sat in one of the private waiting rooms all night, trying to find the right words. Around three in the morning was when Eddy had finally gotten past the first line.

 _Hey, it's Eddy. I promised Mama V that I'd write this for her. You should probably sit down for this._

It was harder than he expected to break the news about Edd. Eddy had assumed that since it wasn't a face-to-face situation that it would be easier, but instead the task was almost impossible. In the past, Eddy would have jumped for joy at the chance to take a jab at Kevin's enormous ego but now, everything was different. Everything was just _so_ fucking messed up, the little rivalry between them meant nothing. Eddy was Edd's best friend, his sole confidant after Marie left so Edd had told Eddy _everything_ about his and Kevin's relationship and how much they loved each other. So how was Eddy supposed to tell the man that the love of his life was about to undergo a risky surgery that Edd might not even make it out of? Kevin's world was going to fall apart whenever the letter would be delivered; Eddy just hoped he'd be able to hold himself together long enough to make it home.

Eddy dutifully handed the letter to Christine without a word as they watched Edd's favorite nurse named Rosa adjust all the machines that surrounded his bed before they moved him. Edd was sedated again, but instead of being in a medically induced coma, the young man simply blinked wearily at nothing. Christine could tell he was too out of it to comprehend what was about to happen, but chose to explain the situation to him again anyways. "Eddward, do you remember what I told you yesterday? Do you know what's going to happen?" she asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and grabbing his thin hand in her own.

Edd blinked once, twice before answering. "Surg'ry."

Christine nodded. "That's right. And when you wake up you're gonna feel brand new, okay?" she said, steeling her voice against her emotions that were raging inside of her. Edd's head lolled over to the side so that he could look up into his mother's face. His face was thin and ghostly white; his beautiful blue eyes harbored dark circles underneath them. Christine just knew the look on his face would haunt her forever.

"...S'Kevin? Is he 'ere?" he slurred, the medication had dulled his sharp mind considerably, unable to make certain connections. Eddy frowned silently from his spot against the wall and bowed his head, avoiding Christine's broken and pleading gaze.

"N-no. Kevin's not here Sweetheart. He's in the army, he left months ago." she said, turning back to her son and refusing to let the shakiness in her voice show. Edd paused for a moment before slinking back down into the bed, the scrub cap on his head fell over his eyes a little.

"Oh, 'kay. C'n you tell 'im I love 'im, please? Jus' in case." Edd said sleepily as Rosa put up the railings on either side of the bed and then began the process of putting him under again. The doctors had decided that it would be best to put Edd under before he was wheeled out of the room to avoid any sudden panic attacks if a moment of clarity were to occur, it was safer this way.

"Prom'se?"

Christine put a hand over her face as her other was still clutched in Edd's and tried not to lose it. A comforting hand came over her shoulder and she looked up to see the tear-stained face of Eddy looming over her. "Promise. You do good in there, okay Double D? We need you."

Edd gave one last sleepy smile at his mother and best friend before letting his eyes slide closed. Neither Christine nor Eddy could shake the thought that they could have been the last to hear his sweet voice or see those bright cerulean eyes. Rosa gave one last look toward the two people left in the room before she and another nurse wheeled his bed out into the hallway.

Everyone in the OR was quiet once Edd was finally brought in. No one chattered on excitedly about this one-in-a-lifetime tumor as they all had gotten to know the young man on the table before them over the past few weeks. To them, Edd was intelligent, cheerful, kind, understanding, and so much in love. This kid was more than a tumor, more than Christine's son, he was Eddward Vincent. The boy who never let his sickness control his life until the very end; they all knew he was so much more than what he was eventually forced to succumb to. Edd was meant for greater things.

The lead surgeon, Dr. Kane, stood at the head of the operating table with a solemn expression. "Let's say a prayer." he said and slowly, all the nurses and surgeons stood huddled together in a tight group with their hands tucked into their chests to keep their gloves clean. Dr. Kane was silent for a moment or two before his low voice seemed to echo through the room.

"God, protect this young man that's with us today. Guide my hands through this surgery so that Eddward can spend Christmas here on Earth with his family and friends. Let him stay so he can get married to that soldier he always talks about." Dr. Kane said and a few chuckles emitted themselves from various staff members as Kevin had become an enigma at the hospital. "Let Eddward live to experience life, as he hasn't had the chance to truly live yet, amen."

It was silent for another moment before Dr. Kane finally reached out his arm to a nearby nurse. "Scalpel."

...

Kevin shrugged off his heavy pack once he was finally back in his trailer after a long day on patrol. Next came his jacket, sighing blissfully when the cool air hit his overheated skin. After spending roughly ten hours carrying around all of his equipment, a shower was practically calling his name.

The bombings had decreased dramatically in the past week, but no one was taking any chances. Everyone was to be constantly on guard in case anything happened and no one argued against it once they were reminded of the sweet young man once named Jackson. Caught unprepared by the enemy, ammunition rained down on his body from the building behind him. It was a closed-casket service.

The strain of the equipment left Kevin's back in a mess of knots that only a certain pair of hands could fix, but he would have to let the water pressure in the showers take care of that for now. He tugged off his damp shirt tiredly and sighed again once his entire torso was exposed to the cool air. After his shower, Kevin planned to pass out in his bed and get some much needed rest.

There was a knock on the door to the trailer as Kevin tried to shrug the tenseness out of his shoulders. The man grunted in disapproval before shrugging once more and answered the door. "What?" Kevin asked, rather annoyed at the person who interrupted his rather pathetic plans.

Naomi stood on the other side of the door with a sheepish look on her face. She played with a long curl, winding it around her finger as her eyes lowered themselves to the ground to try to avoid the tantalizing view before her. Kevin was leaning against the door frame casually, his strong torso was tan and exposed, a light glimmer of sweat still donned the tight abdominal muscles. He still held his shirt clutched in one hand and Naomi couldn't help but glance at the light trail of auburn hair that disappeared beneath the waistband of his pants. She felt her cheeks redden and subconsciously yanked the curl she was holding to snap herself out of her lusty haze.

"Uh, hey Kev." she said rather lamely. In the midst of her ogling, Naomi had forgotten her real reason for showing up at Kevin's door. After the incident a little over a month ago, the two had been keeping a safe distance towards each other. They were still friends but the only difference between then and now was more boundaries: no touching.

Kevin gave her a crooked smile and her heart damn near melted. "Hey Naomi, what'd you need?"

She yanked the curl again and then carelessly threw it over her shoulder with a nervous smile. "Just wondering if ya wanted to catch dinner with me. I think they're actually serving food tonight." she joked, earning a small laugh out of the red-head.

"I was just gonna shower and skip it...but I guess I'll go if you want me to." he said and walked back into his trailer, leaving the door open for Naomi as an invitation inside. It was messier than usual in the trailer compared to the other few times that she's been in it. Kevin's duffle bag lay open in the corner of the room with its contents strewn all over the trailer as if he were hastily searching for something.

"Damn, Kev. What happened in here?" Naomi asked, bending over to scoop up a few abandoned photos on the floor. one was of a gleaming red motorcycle, an accidental shot of a pair of blurry feet, and the last photo pictured a young man sleeping on his side. The morning sun from what must have been the bedroom window cascaded light over his wild black hair that almost made his skin glow. The man faced away from the camera allowing the view of various flower tattoos on his back since the blanket was draped lowly on his waist.

Kevin noticed Naomi studying the photo and gently pulled it out of her grasp to look at it. A small smile graced his features as he clutched it in his large hand. "That's him. The morning after we officially moved in together." he said quietly, then promptly shoved the picture back in his bag.

"Why'd you do that? The picture's probably all bent now!" she yelled in protest, that had been the only picture that Naomi had ever seen of Edd in all the months of Kevin being here. Kevin shrugged nonchalantly and continued to shove various items into the bag and then kicked it under the bed when he was done.

"I don't hurt as much when I don't look." he said simply and Naomi sighed.

"Have you heard anything recently?" she asked, sitting on the bed with her legs crossed while leaning back on her palms. Kevin frowned and shook his head as he retrieved a clean shirt.

"No, it's not like Ma can get a hold of me either. All the lines are down." he said and sat down next to her on the bed, neither said anything as their fingers brushed each other.

Naomi nodded and bumped his arm with her small shoulder. "Y'know, if you ever need to talk about anything that I'm here right? _I can't help if I don't know what's wrong._ " she said, her words the very same that Edd had spoken to him on his last leave and just like that- it was happening again.

All the rules were broken as Naomi curled her fingers around Kevin's and leaned in. Kevin, once again reminded of how much Naomi resembled Edd by her words and reciprocated her actions.

 _"Je suis ici_ (I'm here)." she whispered and Kevin let out a half laugh, half sob as the sweet French words kissed his ears.

"I didn't know you knew French." Kevin said, their lips brushing against one another teasingly. Naomi nipped at his bottom lip and let her other hand trace his muscled arm lightly.

"I took it all four years of high school, _mon amour_ (my love)." Naomi whispered as Kevin leaned in and captured her full lips with his own, all his coherent thoughts flying out the window from her words.

...

Edd squeezed his eyes shut tightly from the incredibly bright light that hung above him. After a few moments, he opened his eyes slowly to adjust to the light and saw that he was still in the OR. Edd could vaguely hear muffled voices, was the surgery over already?

A silhouette cut through the OR light above him and Edd blinked quickly a few more times, vaguely feeling thick locks of hair tickle his face.

 _"Helloooo?"_

 _"Is he here?"_

 _"Ye'as ma'am!"_

 _"Aye, aye-no. Quit it, you'll scare him. Ang-ugh. Take the the laptop please."_

"H-hello? Who's there?" Edd asked, adjusting to lean back on his elbows. His head felt fine.

"Hey man, how's the head?" a voice asked and Edd looked up to see a young woman standing in front of him with her arms crossed against her flat chest. She looked quite...boyish. The grey sweatshirt she wore was slim-fitting with the hood up and jeans hung loosely on her hips.

"It's...fine. Who are you? Where am I?" Edd asked, letting his eyes bore into her face. She had a matching set of bright blue eyes as well, contrasting strangely with the orange-pink locks that fell in front of them. A truly Kevin-worthy smirk played on her face as he unfolded her arms and shoved her hands deep into her pockets.

"You can call me Sy. Welcome to The Vault."


	45. The Guides

Author's Note:

 **AmythestDreams** : You're review wasn't lost in the sea, I saw you I really appreciated the feedback! Realism is my thing though, life isn't sunshine and rainbows. It's about the struggle to find your way though the trials and tribulations that one is faced with. As for Charles, he will make his appearance later and all with be explained in due time. But back to your review- you keep going! Question the story and my motives! Challenge me!

If anyone else feels like their review was lost, just know I check my e-mail **_all the time._** Every single one of you matters to me. All the feedback/reviews I receive are gold. Don't ever feel like your words don't matter, because they do.

Just know that I'm open to PMs about the story, or any problems anyone has in general because _this is a safe place._ I've made so many new friends because of this and I want to be yours too. I love you all, keep on reading and reviewing.

Appearance of OCs:

Sy- Tate Langdon (blue eyes/androgynous girl)

Angela- Jennifer Wadl

Thank you for all the support!

* * *

The first hour of the surgery had went well; the scar was reopened and there had been little to no swelling of the brain. All the doctors and nurses were prepared for the worst, but were met with almost favorable conditions. Recent CT scans had shown that the tumor hadn't metastasized at all, which was a huge relief to Christine and all the other doctors. So all Dr. Kane and his staff needed to do was just remove the entire tumor. Easier said than done.

It was tricky surgery. How do you remove a mass from almost the center of the brain without causing any major bleeding? Dr. Kane was doing just that; removing the tumor piece by piece at an agonizingly slow pace. There was also the underlying issue of when Edd woke up- _if_ he woke up. Even if the surgery were to be successful there was a chance that he would fall into a coma afterwards and if he didn't- speech, memory, coordination, and multiple other factors were at risk. But the point was that there was hardly any swelling at all and no bleeders- everything was going smoothly.

"Alright." Dr. Kane drawled out as he retrieved another small piece of the tumor and set it in the metal container beside him. "What's BP?"

"Ninety-eight over fifty-nine, Doctor."

Dr. Kane pursed his lips tightly. "That's a little low, let's get a dose of Fludrocortisone started." he ordered. A nurse nodded quickly before injecting the medication into one of the many tubes hanging from Edd's body. A few moments of quiet clicking from the utensils passed when Dr. Kane let his eyes flicker back up to the nurses. "And now?"

"One hundred over sixty-two." Rosa said from her spot by the monitors, keeping her eyes on Edd's face. Dr. Kane nodded and moved his hand to retrieve the next piece of the tumor, but blood met the surface of the brain before his scalpel did.

"We've got a bleeder, I need suction to see where it's coming from." Dr. Kane said, trying not to let his voice grow frantic as the amount of blood increased from a small dribble to a steady stream. The head scrub nurse and lead doctor worked in tandem to get rid of the blood and find the source, eventually working the entire room up into a rushed tizzy.

A clot had formed, burholes were made to relieve pressure on the brain, and two units of blood had been hung when things went from bad to worse. "Dammit," Dr. Kane cursed as he finally retrieved the large clot and practically threw it in the nearby container. Half of the tumor had been removed at the six hour mark and it was still a very touch-and-go situation. Blood squirted from the brain once again and the heart monitor went wild.

"Patient's in V-tach."

"Push one of Metoprolol," a second doctor ordered, decidedly taking charge so Dr. Kane could focus at the task at hand. Piece after piece of tumor was hastily carved out as the doctor realized it was now of never. This _thing_ that had plaguing Edd for the majority of his life was finally being removed, but not without one hell of a fight.

"Doctor, we're losing him."

...

 _"You can call me Sy. Welcome to The Vault."_

After the initial shock had worn off, Edd began to question the two young women in front of him incessantly. Was he dreaming? In a coma? _Dead?_ Sy merely put her hand up at these inquisitions and then offered the hand to help him off of the OR table.

"No, I can't walk." Edd said with a shake of his head. Sy clenched her hand into a fist momentarily before opening it back up.

"Yes you can. Just try."

Edd looked up wearily into her impassive face before taking a breath. He hadn't been able to walk in weeks from the numbness, what makes her think that he could walk now? "Okay..." he sighed and grabbed a hold of her outstretched hand and to his surprise, his legs worked just fine. In fact, his whole body felt fine! Great even, and this earned Sy a suspicious glare from the raven-haired teen.

The androgynous girl before him sighed heavily through her nose as she helped the teen up off the bed. "Allow us to explain a few things," Sy began as she walked over and sat next to the other woman, who merely sat on a table and grinned happily at him.

"I'm Angela. It's nice to finally meet you Edd." the woman-now named Angela said and reached out to shake Edd's steady hand.

She was petite but possessed curves that went on for days. Angela's hair was styled into thick twist braids that ran down to the small of her back; her dark skin beautifully complimented by the baby pink dress that showed off a respectable amount of the curvy legs underneath. On her feet were an expensive looking pair of nude high heeled shoes.

"They're Louboutin, my daddy bought them for me a couple years ago." Angela said, noticing Edd's gaze on her incredibly dangerous looking heels. Sy had reclined back against the wall and began to twist the braids into a bun with both hands, staying out of the conversation quietly.

"Okay, but who _exactly_ are you two?" Edd asked once he observed the odd duo for a few more seconds. Sy's mouth pulled up into a half-smirk to reveal a deep dimple, but it was Angela who began to explain.

"We're here to make sure that you know your options and right now we're in the In-Between. It's the blurred line between Heaven and Hell where the lost and unfinished souls wander." Angela said, leaning back into Sy heavily and making the other girl grunt with the weight.

"We're your guides, Edd. You're obviously unfinished." Sy said, pushing the thick curtain of braids aside to look at the ravenette and then rested one hand on Angela's thigh.

"Guides? _Unfinished?_ This is all so ludicrous. Can I just wake up now? I wish to leave-"

Sy cut Edd off with a single glare. "You can't just wake up, you have to know your options first if you decide to go back." she explained seriously which causing Angela to frown. "Your heart stopped in surgery and now you're in the In-Between. Make sense?"

Edd covered his mouth halfway through the explanation. "Oh God, _I'm dead?!_ Ohhh God, Kevin...He didn't even know I was in the hospital and NOW I'M DEA-"

"No no no! You're not dead _per se_ because you can still go back!" Angela said, hopping down from the ledge and waving her hands frantically in Edd's face.

"Then send me back!" he yelled, pulling at the edges of his beloved hat. "Send me back so I can go home to Kevin! I _promised_ him that I'd be waiting- he doesn't even know that I'm-"

"That's not up to us, Edd. It's up to you." Sy said, silencing the room with her commanding voice. She hopped off the ledge and walked over to the other two people in the room. "If you weren't lost, your soul would have gone Home already." Sy said, flexing a long finger towards the ceiling. "But unfortunately you are and you have to figure out what it is that you're missing. Once you figure it out, you're free to decide which path to take."

"I just want to go home." Edd said, rubbing his face furiously. Sy copied the frustrated gesture, earning a sympathetic rub on the back from Angela.

"Why don't we walk and talk?" Angela said, grabbing Sy's limp hand in both of hers and tugged the boyish girl towards the door. Edd followed after a moment after ultimately deciding that these two "guides" of his were his only shot at getting back home.

It was quiet as the trio walked down one of the hospital's long corridors. The windows that lined either side of the hallway revealed that outside held nothing but blankness and artificial sunshine.

"So...are you two real? Or just a figment of my imagination?" Edd asked once Sy had regained her stoic composure. Angela quirked a brow in his direction and began to swing her's and Sy's linked hand back and forth.

"We were real at one point in time." the sweeter of the two answered.

Edd bit his lip absently as he listened. "And then what?"

"We died." Sy answered coolly, sliding her icy blue eyes over to the pale ravenette next to her. "Don't look to shocked. Look where you're at, it's not too far off."

Angela pursed her full lips at Sy and then turned her attention back to Edd. "I was an activist for equal rights before it happened. Some family members were unhappy with me because they thought it made the family look bad, associating myself with "gays" and all, but none of them knew that I was bisexual so it really didn't make sense to them. But it...it was my cousin who did it." she said. Sy's cool composure crumbled a bit as she showed concern for Angela.

"I don't remember how exactly I ended up in the park at night, but he was there. Jake cornered me and..."

The trio stopped in the middle of the hallway so that Angela could bury her face into Sy's shoulder to muffle her sobs. Sy looked torn up over the beautiful girl who was crying her eyes out and hugged her tightly before speaking.

"After what happened to Princess, Jake took off. He got hit by a bus a few blocks away from the scene." Sy said as Angela lifted her face off of Sy's flat chest and looked at her with the most adoration Edd had ever seen in anyone.

"And then there was Sy. She helped me pick up the pieces and forgive Jake for what he had done to me so I could move on to another life." Angela said and nuzzled Sy's nose affectionately, the androgynous girl was practically melting into a puddle from the affection. Something about the gesture made Edd's insides stir.

"So why didn't you?" Edd asked quietly as he watched the two girls- now whom of which Edd realized were lovers.

Angela turned her slightly pink face towards Edd and smiled brightly. "Because I realized that a life without her was no life at all. It's strange, how I finally found love after death."

"I love you Princess." Sy whispered as she leaned in and pressed her pale lips to Angela's full ones lovingly. Edd's insides stirred again, starting in his lower gut and crawling up to his chest, giving it a heavy thump.

"I love you, I'm so happy I found you." Angela said between slow kisses that seemed to make the thumping in Edd's chest increase.

Edd gripped the fabric of his shirt over his heart and took a deep breath to try to sooth away the heavy feeling. The two girls broke apart after another moment or two and then turned their attention to Edd. "Your love is alive Edd. If you choose to go Home, you'll never find another quite like what you and Kevin have." Angela said and she stepped away from Sy to place a comforting hand on his arm.

Sy nodded in agreement and stepped forward as well. "She's right. And I don't care what St. Peter does to me, but I'm going to tell you because your time is running out. _You need to start caring about yourself._ You're so worried about how Kevin feels and how your mother feels, that you're forgetting about the most important person, _you._ Because at the end of the day, when your love has gone back to war and your mother and all your friends have gone home, you end up paving a path to self-destruction by forgetting about you.

It's okay to be selfish, Edd and just remember this. You're a gifted young man with an extraordinary mind. Don't let what they want to feel eclipse your need. They may be everything to you, but they're not the sun. You are."

...

...

...

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

"We've got a rhythm!"

The entirety of the staff in the room cheered as Edd's heartbeat returned after thirty seconds of nothing. Dr. Kane had a nearby nurse dab a tear away from his eye as the young man on the table came back to him.

Twenty-two doctors and nurses, eight hours of surgery, and thirty seconds of sudden cardiac arrest later, Eddward Vincent was alive and officially tumor free.


	46. The Letter

nAuthor's Note: Ah, yes. What wonderful reviews!

 **Dshell99-** Girl, you know how I feel! (winkwinknudgenudge)

 **Royflo1-** like y u threaten me u lil punk i'll frickin fite u!1! (Just kidding, I'm secretly in love with you.)

 **Himetnd-** Please come back to us, we need you! Also, please make sure you have the appropriate amount of tissues with you for future reference...

 **Zookanini-** Man, your review slayed me to pieces! I love ! Thank you so much. *blushes while dead*

 **Shosho123-** Yeah Kevin, u lil hoebag.

 **Riss-in-Wonderland-** It's not over yet. No way, no how.

 **Life Strong-** Poor Angela indeed. I started a fanfiction on my Tumblr about Sy and Angela since I ship them SO DAMN HARD. It's called The Guide. The first chapter just went up last night but keep in mind that first chapters are always rough if you any of you do decide to check it out.

Anywho, a few more notes before I carry on.

The last chapter was inspired by season 3, episode 16 and 17 of Grey's Anatomy. Check it out if you have 2 hours to spare! I couldn't drag on the SCA (sudden cardiac arrest) for a long time like they did with Meredith, because this had to do with brain surgery instead of hypothermia. It's like, if the bleeding went on for too long, the brain would swell and crush itself against the skull- and just PHFFT. Edd would be stuck in the In-Between just like Sy was.

 _Make This Go On Forever_ by Snow Patrol

 _Piece By Piece_ by Kelly Clarkson (Dshell this song has ruined my life)

 **This chapter is rated M.**

...

The next two weeks after Edd's successful surgery were the most critical. The chemotherapy left his frail body open to infection so the stitches on his head were cleaned meticulously every two hours by none other than Christine. The worried mother had cried like a baby when Dr. Kane had come out to the waiting room to inform them that her son was alive and officially tumor free for probably the first time in his life.

 _Please don't let this turn into something it's not..._

Everyone waited patiently for Edd to come out of the anesthesia to share the good news but hours turned into days and days turned into a week. Dr. Kane didn't need to tell Christine that her son was in a coma, she had figured it out after the second day. It happened sometimes, people just never came out of anesthesia for some reason or another but Christine knew her son. Edd didn't go through years of hell to beat brain cancer just to fall into a coma. He _was_ going to wake up at some point, Christine just hoped he would do it in time for Christmas. This year was the first Christmas they would spend together on good terms in over six years.

 _I can only give you everything I've got..._

...

Naomi huffed when she realized that Kevin had skipped the mess hall for the second time that day. She hadn't given it much thought at lunch, but once dinner had come and passed with still no sign of the red-head she adored so much, Naomi started to worry. If there was anything that man loved to do more than anything, it was eat.

 _I can't be as sorry as you think I should..._

The woman sighed heavily and stood up from her spot at the table and began her trek to Kevin's trailer to investigate. The night had cooled the air somewhat, giving everyone in the area a nice break from the sweltering heat. Naomi briefly wondered when her next leave was as she played with the thick curls that fell down her back. She had been deployed for almost ten months already, moving from base to base to help out other squadrons in need. Her thoughts drifted back to her younger brother as she reached her destination and grabbed the handle to the door. How much had he grown in the past year? They hadn't talked in what seemed like forever and Naomi missed him dearly.

"Kevin? Aye, where were you toda-"

Naomi's words cut themselves off once she opened the door to the trailer and the sounds of heavy sobbing hit her ears. "Kevin..?" she asked, stepping further into the small space and letting the door close softly behind her.

Kevin sat hunched over on his bed with a paper clutched in one hand and the other was covering his face. The sobs wracked his body, making it shake from each labored breath he took. Naomi put a hand over her mouth as she took in the scene. Never before had she seen the man in such a state. Sure, she had seen him shed a tear or two in the past few months but never _this._

 _But I still love you more than anyone else could..._

"Kevin, babe what happened?" Naomi asked worriedly as she took a seat next to the red-head on the bed and draped an arm over his strong shoulders. The man merely shook his head and let out another sob, a few incoherent words slipping past his lips. Naomi's eyes flickered to the wrinkled piece of paper that was still clutched in his hand and gently went to pry it out of his grasp. Kevin let go of it easily and brought the other hand up to his face to hide the tears that ran down his face like a faucet. Her concerned eyes never left Kevin's form as she smoothed out the paper in her lap before looking at it.

Naomi couldn't help it when her hand came back over her mouth as she read it.

 _Kevin,_

 _Hey, it's Eddy. I promised Mama V that I'd write this for her. You should probably sit down for this._

 _So I don't know what the hell is going on down there to where we had to resort to a letter to make contact with you- if this letter even makes it in the first place- but still. You need to find a way to come home ASAP. Edd needs you._ _I don't know how much you know about what's been going on with Edd and it's probably not much, but I'm gonna tell you everything._

 _Mama V had him admitted to the hospital almost two months ago. God, it was so hard to watch. He just went downhill so fast. They sedated him last week to help his body deal with the pain. Just know that I've been visiting him everyday, if that's any consolation. Before they put him out he didn't talk much 'cause it was like his mind was far away, but whenever he'd manage to get a clear head, he'd talk about you. It was always only about you._

 _But then it got worse. They put him in a medicine induced coma a few days ago so that he could finally get some sleep. But the thing was that Edd needed surgery so we had to wake him up because Mama V said he at least deserved to know. And I hate you for not being there for him. Edd said he didn't want to wake up anymore today and you weren't there._ _He cares too goddamn much about how other people think that he's forgetting about himself. When did that happen?_

 _Edd's going into surgery soon. The doctors told us it was really risky since he was so unstable, and to be prepared for the worst. But I know my Double D, he'll pull through. So you'd better get your sorry ass back home to take care of him like you should've been doing already._

 _I'll write in another few weeks to update you._

 _Eddy_

A few tears rolled down Naomi's cheeks at the crushing letter and turned her attention back to the man before her. Kevin was an absolute mess, but who could blame him?

 _And that I keep thinking throughout this whole flight, is it could take my whole damn life to make this right..._

Naomi set the letter down in the empty space next to her on the bed and wrapped Kevin up into a tight hug. "I'm such a piece of shit..." he said as he pressed his face into the crook of her neck. Naomi blinked away whatever emotion swam in her eyes and rubbed soothing circles into his back.

"Don't say that about yourself," Naomi said, pulling his face out of her neck so that their eyes could finally meet. The two had been snogging each other senseless for the past two weeks ever since Naomi let her French slip. So when Kevin openly called himself a "piece of shit" Naomi knew exactly what he was talking about. She had no idea what Kevin was feeling. To know that your fiance was actually lying in their deathbed and you were getting hot and heavy with someone else. Kevin's pain must have been excruciating.

 _This splintered mast I'm on won't save me long, because I know fine well what I did was wrong..._

Naomi looked deep into the forest green eyes and tried to will away the immense sadness that plagued them. "You're smart and funny and sweet..." she began, her fingers becoming lost in the auburn locks. "...and you're such a great guy, Kev. So please don't say that about yourself. It hurts me to see you in so much pain."

Kevin sniffled at her words and pouted the tiniest bit as he was still at war with his emotions. "Listen, Kev. I care about you...a lot. I really do and every time you're near me I just want to know more about you. I want to _be with you._ I want to make you happy."

Naomi's words bounces around in Kevin's head for a few moments, vaguely registering the lingering kiss that was placed on his forehead tenderly.

 _I want to make you happy..._

 _I care about you..._

 _I want to be with you..._

His body still shook a little from his emotional breakdown earlier, but the woman's delicate hands were doing an excellent job of soothing him. God, he was so lonely. Ma was a world away, his football buddies were scattered across the country, Nazz was a probably half way around the world with her designs, and Edd was dying- or possibly dead. He just wanted to feel something _good_ for once. Kevin wanted to know what it felt like to be happy again.

"Then make me happy."

Naomi's eyes widened in shock as her heart fluttered wildly inside her chest. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, please. God, I just want to feel _something good_ for once in my life. Make me happy Naomi. _Please._ "

The woman couldn't ignore the desperate plead in the man's voice as he spoke. Kevin sounded so lost, as if this situation was the only thing holding him to the Earth.

Their lips smashed together in an almost frantic need, but it was Naomi who initiated everything as she had promised to take care of Kevin herself. She tugged Kevin's snug shirt off to reveal that delicious looking torso of his and immediately lowered her head down and trailed fiery kisses down to his hip bone.

The red-head was moaning pleasurably underneath her as the months of lack of sex finally caught up with him. Love bites were left here and there on his chest and tight stomach as the woman continued to have her way with him. Next came her shirt which was thrown on the floor next to Kevin's. Naomi's large breasts struggled for room underneath the small sports bra she was wearing and Kevin felt his pants grow tight. Almost hesitantly, he reached out and dipped a finger under the firm elastic of the band and felt the heat of her thick cleavage. With another flick of his hand, the confining bra was ripped over the woman's head and tossed carelessly on the floor.

Naomi pressed her bare chest against Kevin's as she panted wet kisses on his jaw and neck. She could feel something hard against her thigh as Kevin continued to gasp and moan for her. Kevin's hands gripped her wide hips firmly as she continued to mark him and he made sure to tease her back by pressing into the sensitive spot on her hip that Kevin knew all too well. Moments ticked by and all their clothes were abandoned on the floor; the two bodies were pressed together with Naomi straddling the red-head. The woman was practically on cloud nine at this point. The man she loved so desperately was finally ready for Naomi to pour all her love into him-er, well, perhaps it was the other way around.

Kevin listened intently to her sweet gaps and moans as he took one of her nipples into his mouth and sucked generously. His spare hand played with the Naomi's other one and she bucked her hips into Kevin's, making his cock almost painfully hard. Growing impatient, Naomi leaned down to place a chaste kiss on Kevin's lips before positioning herself over him. The red-head gasped harshly as she lowered herself down onto him, everything about this felt so different. The woman's weight felt rather nice on him, but the sex wasn't as intense as it was when he would do it with Edd. God, how long had it been since he had sex with a woman? It's must have been at least two and a half years. Kevin snapped out of his thoughts once he heard Naomi whine his name as their hips worked n tandem.

It was strange, the way the moonlight hit Naomi's face. Her dark chocolate skin had been temporarily paled from the flash of light, but when Kevin paired that with her wild hair and the gap in her teeth, Kevin couldn't help but smile.

For a single second he was home with his fiance instead of making the biggest mistake of his life.


	47. Stressed Out

Author's Note: Omg, so much hate I love it.

 _Blurryface_ by Twenty One Pilots.

* * *

 _Kevin smiled when Edd snuggled into his side as the movie came on. The war was over, his tour was over, and he was finally back home in his husband's arms. They got married as soon as Kevin came back home and it had been a small wedding. Only close friends and Christine was the only real family member that was there...except for his father. The man had sat in the back while he watched the ceremony, his face stern but impassive. Kevin was terrified and furious, but Edd wasn't worried at all about him. It was weird._

 _He had continued to see Naomi until the end of his final tour, but cut things off when it was time to go home. She was heartbroken of course- Kevin remembered the way she clutched her chest as tears rolled down her beautiful face, but it was over between them. Kevin had a naive fiance waiting for him back at home. They had been married for almost a year and the man still had no idea about his secret affair._

 _"I love you," Edd said, pressing a kiss to Kevin's chest. The red-head smiled and hugged Edd close to his body affectionately._

 _"I love you too."_

"So I take it he doesn't know then."

 _Kevin's head snapped up to look at the guy who had suddenly appeared in the middle of his living room. The hood of his grey sweatshirt was pulled up over his head- casting a shadow over the darkened blue eyes. Locks of unkempt blonde hair that stuck out from the hood hung over his eyebrows so any hint of emotion was hidden._

 _Edd didn't seem too concerned about the intruder in front of them as he merely looked at the man with little interest. "Who are you? Get the hell out of my house!" Kevin yelled, not liking this person nor the insinuated information._

"Are you ever going to tell him?"

 _Kevin stood up from the couch and went to grab the intruder by the collar of his hoodie, but the man dodged his hand expertly. "The fuck-"  
_

 _Edd sat up on the couch after being knocked over by his husband and looked at the two in confusion. "What don't I know? Kevin, are you not telling me something?" the innocent little raven said from his spot. Kevin's heart leaped into his throat and looked back at Edd with the calmest expression he could manage._

 _"N-no. Everything's fine, Baby."_

 _The unwanted stranger rolled his eyes and flipped his hood down._ "Why are you lying? Don't you love him?"

 _"Of course I do!" Kevin yelled, attempting to lunge at the person once again._

"Then act like it!" _the young man yelled and swung a small fist right into Kevin's-_

...

Kevin awoke with a start back in his trailer. A light sheen of sweat coated his body as his chest heaved frantically. The red-head vaguely registered the weight of another body on his own as he sat up and whipped the covers off. His cheek held this odd tingling sensation.

It had just been a stupid dream. Albeit _stupidly real,_ but a dream nonetheless. The war was far from over, he and Naomi had...and Edd was...

 _Oh God._

Kevin practically jumped out of the small bed and reached for any article of clothing that he could find. First, he needed a shower to get that _smell_ off of him. Second, Kevin needed to request an emergency leave. He sure as hell wasn't going to wait weeks to find out whether or not the love of his life was dead or alive.

"Mmh, Kevin?" a sleepy voice said on the bed. Kevin's head whirled around to face the woman that he had temporarily forgotten about and his face flushed with shame. The blanket was draped lowly over her wide hips, showing off her perfect chocolate skin. Naomi's long, curly hair was wild and untamed as the locks draped themselves over her bare breasts. She rubbed her eyes tiredly and yawned before either of them spoke again.

"We need to talk." Kevin said after sucking in lung-full of air and holding it nervously. Naomi stretched nonchalantly and blushed the thick hair out of her eyes and behind her back, leaving her full chest exposed. Another wave of shame and guilt washed over the red-head as he continued to pull a clean shirt over his head.

"About what?" she asked and Kevin pursed his lips a little. This was going to be hard, he could feel it by the way Naomi was playing dumb.

"Last night." he said simply, pulling his belt tight against his hips. Naomi's eyebrows knotted together as she watched the man she loved so much. Why was he acting so strange? The way he was getting dressed so quickly reminded her of her ex-fiance the night he skipped town the week before their wedding and it made her heart jolt to a stop.

"Oh God, you're leaving." she said and finally pulled the blanket up over her naked body. Kevin didn't meet her scared gaze as he went about shoving everything into his bag.

"I have to."

The confused woman's mouth bobbed open and closed like a fish as the situation soaked itself into her bones. The man she loved was leaving her. _Again._ "W-why? I thought-"

Kevin finally whirled around to address the elephant in the room, effectively cutting off Naomi in the middle of her sentence. "Because I have a wonderful, _amazing_ fiance waiting for me back at home who's also fighting for his life and I just- I can't be here! I can't stay here and pretend that we're only ever going to be friends because that's not true. It never will be."

Naomi frowned deeply at his words before she leaned over the bed and snatched up her shirt that had been abandoned on the floor the night before. "You're right, we can't ever be friends. I want more."

"What?" Kevin asked, his forest green eyes narrowing at the woman before him. She continued to get dressed, shimmying her pants over her hips before she decided to continue.

"I. Want. More. I meant what I said last night, Kev. I care about you- fuck! I've been _in love_ with you for the past four months and did I tell you? No! I _had_ to sit by and listen to every goddamn sob story about you and-and _him!_ I love you Kevin! I want to be with you!"

Kevin's ears were ringing at the end of her little speech. Naomi was in love with him? It wasn't that surprising to Kevin though as the woman would always tell him how "special" he was to her and how much she "cared" about him. But Kevin had Edd (possibly) waiting him him back home, and that was all he needed to shut her words out.

"N-Naomi...I love _Edd._ And those little sob stories that you _had_ to sit through, those were real. What we've been doing to each other and what you feel, none of that is real. I am so sorry." Kevin said, watching the woman deflate before his very eyes. Naomi's eyes filled to the brim with unshed tears and her hands clutched at her chest absently as Kevin's words began to sink in. The dream Kevin had just a little bit before was starting to seem all too real.

"None of it's...real?" she asked, her emotions were teetering on the edge. Kevin bit his bottom lip nervously and picked up the crumpled letter on the floor. He stared at it for a second as regret settled itself deep in his gut. If the brain cancer hadn't killed Edd, Kevin's little mistake just might finish the job.

Kevin gripped the piece of paper tightly before stuffing it into the pack. Maybe, just maybe, if they pretended that this little "accident" never happened, Kevin would be able to spare Edd the heartbreak and tears. The ravenette had taken down his massive drunk of a father, put an end to his terrible smoking habit, made a home for them, and had permanently marked his skin with a declaration of their love...and Kevin goes and lets some woman fuck his brains out in a moment of weakness. The series of thoughts just made the red-head want to die.

"No. None of this is real. I...I don't love you, Naomi." Kevin said, chewing on his lip some more. The woman let out a heavy sob and clutched her chest tighter.

"No! Don't say that, _please..._ " she begged, letting herself slump back down on the bed. Kevin's hands balled themselves into fists as he listened to her cry. Instinct told him to go and comfort her, but the red-head held himself back knowing it would only cause trouble. The woman always did have a problem with keeping her hands to herself.

"I'm sorry." he said one last time before backing out of the trailer with his pack in hand. Kevin would be on his way home soon.

...

Edd sighed heavily as he was still facing the two women before him. When he had initially sucked away from them, Edd had expected to wake up immediately after with the faces of his loved ones looming over him worriedly, but no. He was alive, but trapped inside of his own mind like some caged animal. He hated it, but Sy found it quite amusing to say the least.

"I thought you were done with me after I came back." the ravenette said, narrowing his eyes at the girl before him. Her hood was flipped back and her short blond waves framed her face quite nicely. Angela was currently tending to her bruised hand.

"Oh, you're not quite back yet, 'D." Sy said, not even flinching when Angela set her knuckles back into place, the loud cracking sound made Edd queasy but raised more red flags for the raven.

The young man pulled his hat over his ears and eyes momentarily before shivering from the sound. "How can you be hurt if you're dead? None of this makes any sense..."

Sy shrugged, lowering her eyes to the blue and purple knuckles. "True, I am but that doesn't mean that _I_ can't get hurt though. Wish I could say the same for that piece a-"

"Anyways!" Angela piped up, stopping her girlfriend mid-sentence. "Back to you. You're not in the In-Between anymore, but you're kind of teetering on the edge right now. We're just here to keep you in check after we talked you back to life. It's all business, really."

"Well...okay then. But how do I get back, for real this time?" Edd asked, once he was sure that he understood what Angela had just said. Angela's hair was no longer in it's intricate twists but fell naturally down her back.

This time it was Angela's time to shrug as she finished with Sy's mysteriously injured hand. "Honestly? This no longer has anything to do with your will to live or being a lost soul. This is just your body recovering from something traumatic. It'll take some time."

Edd sighed again and gazed around the white room with his cheek resting in his palm. _It'll take some time..._

 _"...Edd?"_

...

Christine sat in her usual seat next to Edd's hospital bed with her feet propped up on the edge. She yawned largely and set down the thick book that she had been reading for the last few hours.

Edd was still lying comatose two weeks later. There was regular brain activity and his body could do just fine on it's own, but the young man continued with his peaceful slumber. One of the older nurses had dropped by earlier in the day to check up on the worried mother. The nurse had placed a weathered hand on Edd's covered knee with a kind smile, insisting that he was merely chatting with the angels.

The night passed slowly and eventually Christine crawled into the cot she had placed against the far wall of his room. The hospital had become her home sweet home in the past few months, only leaving to grab clean clothes from her own house. Christine's eyes had begun to flutter shut when her cell phone started to buzz loudly from its spot on the chair.

Yawning once more, the exhausted woman flipped the phone open without even looking at the caller ID. "Dr. Christine Vincent speaking..." she drawled, fighting back yet another yawn.

 _"Ma?"_

"Kevin?!" she shrieked, her drowsiness immediately dissipating. Christine cast a weary eye towards the still figure in the bed, just in case he were awoken by her shrill voice.

 _"Ma I got Eddy's letter. I'm catching a plane in a few hours. I'm coming home."_ Kevin said, sounding as if he had just finished a marathon. _"How is he? Please tell me Edd's okay."_

Christine chewed on her bottom lip as she continued to eye her sleeping son. "He's...he made it out of surgery, Kevin. He's alive."

 _"Oh thank God! C-can I talk to him?"_ Kevin said. Christine swore she could've just heard a heavy sob through the line.

"Kevin, Honey..." Christine sucked in a breath nervously. How was she supposed to tell Kevin?

 _"What?"_

"...Edd's been in a coma for the past two weeks. His body's still recovering from such an extensive surgery...but you can still talk to him if you want."

There was a pause from Kevin's side followed by a few sniffles. _"That's fine, ma. Put the phone to his ear."_

The heartbroken mother scooted the stiff hospital chair closer to the bed as she sat in it and put the phone on speaker, but still kept it close to his ear. "Okay Sweetie, go ahead."

 _"Okay...Edd? Baby can you hear me? Edd, I love you so much...I'm so sorry."_ Kevin said, his voice was thick with emotion when he realized his apology was meant for two completely different things. It didn't take long for the soldier to break out into pitiful sobs. _"I'm on my way home right now. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me. God, I'm so sorry.."_

Christine bowed her head with a hand over her mouth to muffle the distraught sobs of her own. The conversation quickly faded into a flurry of "I'm sorry" and "I love you" that were repeated over and over again until Christine removed the phone from Edd's ear and took it off speaker to soothe her adopted son.

A lone tear slipped down Edd's cheek once his mother had turned away.


	48. Hey You

Author's Note: I'm not ending this anytime soon, trust me.

* * *

Kevin didn't sleep a wink the entire flight as his thoughts were focused completely on the man laying comatose back at home. Christine had told him everything that had transpired in the time he was gone in much more detail than Eddy's letter had the pleasure of doing. How Edd went from sick to dying in a matter of months while Kevin was away, details of the surgery, and the current condition he was in- everything. The chemo had left his body open to infection so the stitches on his head were cleaned meticulously every two hours by no one other than Christine. What really brought it all home for the soldier however, was when she mentioned the bit about Edd's heart stopping in surgery. She had been told by some other doctor that there was a blood clot and his heart stopped beating for a full thirty seconds at least. Kevin squeezed the bridge of his rose tightly as dark thoughts rolled though his mind.

He could have lost Edd forever.

Kevin had been granted a very generous two week long leave. That meant he had fourteen days to make Edd wake up, try not to kiss him back into a coma, and find a way to tell him about Naomi. A part of his brain screamed at him not to, but his heart told Kevin that it was the right thing to do. But was now really the right time? If Edd _did_ wake up, it would be the first time the two would really see each other in over four months. If you subtracted the three days from his last leave where they had ended up fighting, the amount of time stretched to seven months. Did he really want to ruin their time together by telling Edd the truth?

After nine hours, the plane finally landed in the Peach City airport and Kevin tried his hardest not to sprint off the damned thing. Christine said she would be there to pick the soldier up when his flight landed and it made Kevin itch with excitement. He missed the woman terribly. She had sent him a few care packages over the months and it always managed to light up his world, even if it _was_ just simple items like soap, hand sanitizer, and even a bag of his favorite chips or candy now and then. Christine really was a great mother despite her past issues with her _real_ family.

The red-head kept an eye out for Christine as he made his way through the airport. His rucksack was clutched in one hand tightly as he searched for the petite Vincent woman. Suddenly, something caught his attention and Kevin couldn't help break out into a happy grin. Christine was standing directly in from of him a couple feet away with a handmade sign.

 _Welcome home Kevin Vincent-Barr!_

Kevin jogged over to his adoptive mother and scooped her up into his strong arms, dropping his bag a couple feet away. Christine happily accepted the tight hug with one of her own as the soldier twirled them around. "I missed you Ma,"

"I missed you too Sweetheart, how are you? Are you hungry?" she said, wiping away a stray tear or two. Kevin laughed heartily and walked back to pick up the abandoned rucksack.

"I could eat,"

Holding out his arm to her in a gentlemanly way, he led the woman out of the airport.

...

The two had ultimately decided to eat at the hospital as Kevin was eager to see his unofficial fiance. Christine had warned Kevin about what he was about to see before he walked into Edd's room, saying that he was hooked up to a lot of different machines and how the young man's head was wrapped up in bandages. Kevin nodded impatiently as she spoke; the man was determined not to waste a single second of their allotted time together.

Finally, Christine slid open the door to his room and Kevin felt his heart plummet.

Edd was indeed hooked up to about a dozen different machines and an oxygen tube on his face was helping him breathe. Kevin's legs felt as if they were made of lead, but he pushed himself forward anyways. When he reached the edge of the bed, Kevin simply took a moment to just study the young man who was lying in the bed.

Edd's gorgeous inky locks were gone, as well as his eyebrows and the long ebony eyelashes. The skin on his hands was red and irritated from the IVs and tape that kept them in place, but the dark ink etched into his finger stood out clear as day.

 _IX-XX-VII_

 _Vincent-Barr_

Kevin let out a shaky breath and began to kick his dusty boots off. Slowly and carefully, the red-head climbed into bed with his love and settled an arm around Edd's small shoulders. Kevin noticed a few nurses and doctors staring at him though the glass windows of the room, but the blinds were quickly shut by Christine as she entered the room.

"Edd talked about you a lot, that's why they stare." she explained with a small smile as she gazed at her two boys who were finally back together again.

"Good things I hope?"

Christine's smile widened sheepishly. " _Very_ good things. I'm going to go get us some lunch, okay? I love you." she said and walked over to the bed to press a loving kiss on the top of Kevin's buzzed head.

"Love you too, Ma." he said, smiling gratefully at the woman as she walked out of the room, finally granting them privacy. Kevin let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and relaxed in the small bed. Edd rested limply on Kevin's side as the soldier continued to observe him.

"Edd..."

Silence.

"I need you to wake up."

Silence.

Kevin sighed a little and adjusted. "Edd...I'm sorry. I feel like I've failed as a partner. I wasn't there for you and I was being... _selfish._ It's just- you need to wake up so I can tell you how much I love you. Remember what you said to me the day I left for Basic? You refused to leave this life unfinished and we're not finished yet. Not by a long shot. So I really, _really_ need you to do me a favor and wake the hell up so I can spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you and how truly sorry I am. Edd...please. I'm begging you."

Silence.

Kevin sniffled a few times before he gingerly took Edd's frail looking hand in his own and held it. The tubes that were connected to it made the task a bit difficult, but Kevin needed to make some sort of contact with Edd. He just hoped it would reach him on a subconscious level.

Christine came back a little while later with food, purposely taking longer than it should have in order to give her boys some privacy. Knowing that Kevin probably hadn't eaten a decent meal in a while, she had taken the liberty of ordering an actual pizza. Eddy had decided to spend the night with Lee instead of his usual chair beside Edd's bed since Kevin was in town. Christine thought he needed a break anyways.

When Christine had fixed the soldier a plate stacked high with steaming slices of pizza, Kevin decided it was best to sit in an actual chair instead of the bed. So when the soldier began to gently climb out of the bed, he felt something hold him back.

Kevin's head snapped in the direction of his wrist to see a delicate hand loosely wrapped around it. "Ma! Ma, I think he's waking up!"

Christine practically threw her plate to the side as she rushed up to the other side of the bed. The two carefully watched Edd as his face scrunched up slightly and his head slumped over a little. After about half an hour later, Edd's eyes started to flutter open slowly. His hand never let go of Kevin's wrist.

"Ah..." Edd mumbled, his face forming a slight grimace. Kevin and Christine immediately put their hands on him to let Edd know that he wasn't alone.

"It's okay Sweetie, we're here." Christine cooed, putting a gentle hand on his cheek. Edd seemed like he was trying to respond, but all that came out was a few soft hums.

"I'm here too, Edd. Can you hear me? I love you. I love you so much." Kevin said, not even caring if he sounded desperate at this point. He just wanted Edd to wake up.

"Ah...ouch..."

Both Christine and Kevin let out a relieved sob at the word and watched was they were finally able to see the cerulean eyes they loved so much. They were redder than hell, but they were open nonetheless. Edd's lips looked like he was about to start talking, but his mouth merely bobbed open and closed silently. Kevin moved the hand that Edd had snagged in his own and laced their fingers together, fitting like puzzle pieces.

"I love you." Kevin said again for what must have been the hundredth time that day. Happy tears streamed down the soldier's face as the tiniest of gapped tooth smiles made its way onto Edd's face.

Soon the room was flooded with doctors and nurses who had literally cheered when they saw Edd lying in bed with his beautiful blue eyes finally open. Christine went to stand by Kevin's side as they made room for the professionals to check Edd's vitals. When an older looking doctor stepped into the room, his face lit up in a huge smile and leaned down to hug Edd who was still lying down in the bed.

"That's the doctor who saved his life." Christine explained. A long while passed before the room was empty enough for Kevin and Christine to return to Edd's side; Kevin immediately reclaimed Edd's hand in his own.

"Hey," Edd said, his voice was barely above a whisper.

"Hey, I missed you sleepyhead."

Edd smiled Kevin swore he fell in love all over again. "I missed you too." he croaked and in that moment, everything was fine. No cancer and no war- they were finally together.

How was Kevin supposed to tell Edd what happened when things were so perfect?


	49. Come What May

Author's Note:

Song choice for the chapter:

 _Come What May_ (Moulin Rouge! Soundtrack)

* * *

 _Never knew I could feel like this,_

 _Like I've never seen the sky before..._

Kevin slept in Edd's bed that night.

Christine had gone home to sleep in her own bed for the first time in months that night after bringing Kevin a pair of sweats and a clean outfit for the morning. So the hospital room was silent, all except for Edd's heart monitor among the humming of some other machines.

 _Why didn't you tell me?_

The words bounced around in Edd's head violently, his anxiety ever growing as Kevin waited for his answer patiently. Swallowing the sudden guilt into his gut, Edd opened his mouth only to find that the words were stuck in his throat. "I-"

Kevin hummed in acknowledgement but did nothing more as continued to wait. "I- I watched the news, Kevin." Edd said, absently twisting a small tube in between his fingers. "There was something about bombings...I can't remember."

"Yeah, those." Kevin muttered to himself, trying not to think about any of that. He was with Edd now and Kevin _really_ didn't feel like reminiscing about war and lost comrades.

 _Want to vanish inside your kiss,_

 _Everyday I love you more and more..._

Edd sighed, let go of Kevin's hand, and started to push himself up into a sitting position. Kevin immediately sat up and helped him knowing that the man hadn't moved in nearly three weeks. Regardless, the raven waved the red-head's fluttering hands away and turned to look into those forest green eyes that he missed so, _so_ much. "I didn't want to distract you."

" _Distract me?_ Edd, listen. I would've rather known-"

"Known that I was dying? In the middle of a _war?_ Really, Kevin. Be reasonable." Edd said, his voice still sounded raw in the few hours that he had been awake. "You can't possibly say that you'd want to..."

Kevin frowned as Edd's words faded out mid-sentence and his eyebrows furrowed as his lips became pursed. "That I'd want to what?" the soldier asked, his own face mirroring Edd's as confusion and hurt filtered through him. "Edd?"

"I don't know. I forgot."

The hurt feelings disappeared as soon as they came once Edd's face turned into one of despair. "Edd? Baby, you alright?" Kevin asked, putting his large hands on the other's shoulders in a comforting fashion.

 _Listen to my heart, can you hear it sing?_

 _Telling me to give you everything..._

Edd placed a hand on his forehead and let out a little sigh. "Yes, I- I just seem to have a hard time remembering."

"You should lay back down," Kevin said softly, pulling back on Edd's thin shoulders. "We don't need to talk about this anymore, it's okay. Get some rest Babe, I'll still be here when you wake up in the morning. I love you."

"I love you too." Edd said once his head hit the pillow, his bright cerulean eyes clouded over with confusion and worry. Kevin quickly settled back down into the bed himself and tugged the blanket over the two of them. Edd scooted closer so that his head rested in the crook of his unofficial fiance's neck and placed a small kiss on the underside of his jaw.

 _Seasons may change, winter to spring._

 _But I love you until the end of time..._

Kevin gathered Edd in his strong arms and returned the kiss to the good side of his head. Soon the sounds of slow breathing touched the red-head's ears and he let out a long breath through his nose. He should have known. Just when things are getting better, something comes along to ruin everything. Perhaps it was just a fluke- a one time thing- but what if it wasn't? What if the doctors fucked something up in Edd's brain? Kevin frowned deeply at the onslaught of terrible thoughts that ran through his mind and shivered.

Pulling the blanket up more to cover up Edd's shoulders, Kevin noticed something odd. The blanket wasn't one of the hospital's, it was a quilt. His _mother's_ quilt, to be exact. A strong sense of nostalgia filled his senses as he felt the plush fabric in his hand, thinking back to when his ma would curl up with him in front of the fireplace and watch Christmas movies when he was little. Then Kevin thought back to when he and Edd did the _exact same thing_ last Christmas- but then later abandoned the movies and quilt on Eddy's living room floor to take a late walk together. But things were different this year, that special time had passed with the two worlds away from each other. Looking over at the clock and seeing it click to twelve made Kevin chuckle the tiniest bit.

 _Come what may, come what may._

 _I will love you, until my dying day..._

"Happy New Years, Edd."

...

Kevin couldn't shake the open-mouthed stares of the nurses as he and Christine stood out in the hallway while they talked to Dr. Kane. Sure, it was probably because his shirt was tight against his muscles. His biceps strained the fabric of the sleeves and his pants- _well._ Kevin had to wear his army issued pants again that day. Once Christine had seen the mistake of not letting Kevin choose his own clothes, she couldn't help but just _laugh._ Kevin hadn't bought any new clothes since his senior year of high school and nine months can do _a lot_ to your body when you're in the army. The red-head was still maturing as well, so along with the loads of new muscle, Kevin had shot up a couple inches bringing himself to six foot-five. So when the nurses openly stared at the way the shirt clung to him like a second piece of skin, he couldn't blame them.

 _Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place,_

 _Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace..._

Edd was experiencing a mild case of memory loss. Dr. Kane had assured the two that according to all the tests that it was a temporary thing. Other than that, Edd was recovering with flying colors. Now they just needed to get him some real food and out of that damned hospital bed.

Later that day, Edd's bandages were removed to reveal the bright pink scar and Christine took another chance and went back to Edd's house to grab him his beloved hat plus some real clothes (though her efforts were guided heavily by Kevin.) Many of the tubes, save for his Port, were removed and Edd was brought real meal. There was just something about a chicken Cesar salad that a feeding tube just couldn't do justice to. Kevin couldn't help but snort with laughter when he saw Edd take the first bite.

 _Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste,_

 _It all revolves around you..._

"How long's it been?" the soldier asked once Edd had finished moaning over the food with the plastic fork still stuck in his mouth.

"Too long. I was on a feeding tube for," Edd tapped his fingers on the tray as he did the math in his head. "a month, maybe? It's hard to tell. The medicine made me...weird."

Kevin frowned as he watched Edd eat more slowly, perhaps actually taking the time to taste the food now. "Go on."

Edd shook his head, making the scrub cap on his head fall over his eyebrows. "I couldn't think, I couldn't speak, I couldn't move...it was like I would fade in and out all day and night. I was completely numb."

 _And there's no mountain too high, no river too wide._

 _Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side..._

"Then they put you out?" Kevin asked, moving the tray of finished food aside so that he could sit in front of his boyfriend.

"Y-yeah." Edd said, licking his dry lips. Kevin chewed on his bottom lip at the depressing conversation but a smile crawled onto his face when an idea popped into his head. Edd cocked an eyebrow at the man when Kevin snapped his fingers.

Kevin stood up from the bed and tugged down his shirt. "C'mon, let's get you outta this bed." he said, pushing the tray to the other side of the room and then holding out his hands. Wide blue eyes met determined green; Kevin smiled kindly and flexed his hands to beckon the other forward. "I won't let you fall. I promise."

 _Storm clouds may gather and stars may collide._

 _But I love you._

 _I love you._

 _Until the end of time..._

Hesitantly, Edd placed his smaller hand in Kevin's and swung his legs over the side of the bed slowly. The soldier grabbed one of Christine's long cable knit sweaters with one hand and draped it across Edd's shoulders. Upon doing this, Kevin was met with the questioning eyes of his lover.

"I figured it would help. Considering the gown you're wearing is practically made of paper. Besides, I don't want someone walking in and seeing your ass."

Edd flushed a deep red at the mention of his bare backside. The doctors had just removed the catheter that he had been on for the past month, of course he wasn't wearing any underwear. Edd really needed his mother to hurry up with those clothes.

Edd took a moment to push his arms inside the lilac colored sweater and once again placed his hands in Kevin's awaiting ones. "Ready?" the red-head asked, moving one of his hands to hold a fragile looking wrist. Edd nodded in affirmation. "Okay. One, two-"

With much help on Kevin's part, Edd was pulled up onto his own two feet. The raved swayed a little and grabbed onto Kevin's forearms for a little more support. "There, you got it!"

A small smile washed over Edd's features and Kevin felt his heart thump happily. Edd let out a giggle of disbelief and once he was steady, used a hand to wipe away the seemingly happy tears that began to run down his face. "The floor's cold on my feet...I can feel my feet!"

Now it was Kevin's turn to let out a few happy tears as he pulled the love of his life into a gentle hug. They stayed like that for a while, just holding each other. Eventually Kevin started to sway in a sort of slow dance as he continued to hold Edd just in case. The raven's ears perked up when a vaguely familiar tune resonated from Kevin's throat in a hum.

"Come what may..."

The sound of Edd's tired voice was almost too quiet for him to hear. His head was resting on Kevin's chest as they swayed back in forth, slowly melting away into their own little world. A smirk played at the red-head's lips at the vibrato in Edd's voice and then they sung together. Albeit it was quietly and even though their tunes didn't quite match up with one another- the moment was still magical.

 _Come what may._

 _I will love you until my dying day._


	50. Homecoming

Author's Note: I'm sorry if this is a bit short or well, weird...I love you guys! Here, have some angst with your fluff. It's _much_ better this way!

* * *

Today was the day that everyone had been waiting for. In the six months that Edd had relapsed, lost control of his body and almost his _life,_ it was finally happening.

Edd was going home.

While Christine handled all of the discharge papers and Eddy finished packing up all of Edd's items, Kevin helped the young man into his wheelchair. The genius smiled up at his boyfriend and couldn't help but get lost in those wonderful green eyes that he had grown to miss so much over the passing months. The simple pleasure of merely _looking_ at Kevin made his spout of depression seem so silly. Edd remembered when the doctors brought him out of his induced coma like it had only happened five minutes ago. The bright lights, the heaviness of his body, _the pain._ God, there was so much pain. After months of watching his own body deteriorate before his very eyes, it really did seem like the end. So when Edd had said that he didn't want to wake up anymore at that moment, he meant every word.

 _Your love is alive Edd. If you choose to go Home, you'll never find another quite like what you and Kevin have._

Sy's words started to bounce around in Edd's head mercilessly. Was that real? Were _they_ even real? Edd supposed that it didn't necessarily matter, but it was thanks to those inspirational words that he was back on Earth where he belonged.

 _It's okay to be selfish, Edd and just remember this. You're a gifted young man with an extraordinary mind. Don't let what they want to feel eclipse your need. They may be everything to you, but they're not the sun. You are._

"Everything okay?"

Edd snapped out of his thoughts and lifted his head to look at Kevin, who was hunched over with his head cocked to the side. _"_ You seem a little out of it. You feelin' alright?"

"O-oh yes. I'm fine."

Kevin cocked an eyebrow and crouched down to Edd's level. "Are you? _Seriously._ "

Edd smiled a little and put a hand on the sun-kissed cheek of his boyfriend. " _Citroulle,_ I'm fine. I promise."

The red-head chuckled a little at the old nickname and grabbed the hand that was on his cheek to give it a tender kiss. "You haven't called me that in forever..."

It was Edd's turn to cock an eyebrow. "Brushing up on your French during your spare time, Dear?"

Kevin suddenly felt like there was ice shooting through his veins. _"Damn it, Naomi..."_ he thought as he tried to put his thoughts back together. That woman's incessant French babbling had caused Kevin to pick up on a few words. He had once mentioned how Edd liked to call him "Pumpkin" and he never heard the end of it after that. Every chance she got, Naomi would sneak his once beloved nickname in there just to entice him. Sadly, it seemed to work every time.

"Uh, yeah I guess you could say that..."

Just then Christine popped her head into the room with a big smile. "You boys ready to go?"

"Hell yes," Eddy said, slinging the bag off of his shoulder and tossing the heavy thing to Kevin who was too consumed by his thoughts to try to dodge it. "Hey Kev,"

"Wha- _umph!"_ The bag hit Kevin in the face, causing the man to stumble back a little.

"...Watch out." Eddy snickered as he pushed an equally amused Edd out of that damned hospital room hopefully for the last time. Kevin glared after them for a moment before resting the strap on his shoulder and stalking out into the hallway, grumbling about how some things never change.

...

"Oh _no..._ This- I can't..."

Christine bit her lip to keep from laughing at her son. They were currently parked in the driveway to his and Kevin's beautiful small tudor home, waiting for Edd to finish his little freak-out. Upon pulling onto the street that his house was on, it suddenly dawned on Edd that his house hadn't been occupied in the better part of four months. Which implied that it also hadn't been cleaned properly for close to five. Just the thought of all the dust and dirt that sat piled thick inside the house was enough to make Edd's skin crawl and glue himself to the passenger's seat inside the car.

Kevin smirked a little and rested a hand on the man's shoulder from the back seat. "It'll be fine, Babe. Once we get in, you can just relax while I clean. Sound good?"

Edd seemed to relax a little at the thought, but his knuckles were still white as he gripped the seat. Seeing the hesitation still present in the young man's features, Kevin leaned in to whisper in Edd's ear as Christine got out of the car. "I'll wear your apron..."

Chewing on his lip to fight the smile that was slowly crawling onto his face, Edd turned his head a bit so that he could spare a glance at his boyfriend. "My apron, you say?"

Kevin hummed and moved the slightest but closer. " _Only_ your apron."

Edd's face flushed a deep red and he released the seat so that his hands could cover his heated face. It had been far too long since Kevin had been home last. The raven simply wasn't used to the flirting anymore. "That's quite embarrassing, Kevin."

"Huh?" the soldier asked, slightly taken aback. Usually Edd loved his flirtatious side, perhaps the surgery had changed that part of him.

"You're flirting with me."

Kevin's face was one of disbelief as he registered the words. Was it the memory loss? Or was Edd just being a smartass?

"'D, we've been dating for like, a year and a half."

Edd blushed and looked down. "Still."

Kevin breathed a silent breath of relief and leaned back into the seat with a small chuckle. Edd was just being a smartass. "C'mon." he laughed and moved out of the car to help the other out. Securing an arm around Edd's back, Kevin led them to the familiar red front door. The soft yellow porch lights welcomed them like a beacon.

"Welcome home, boys." Christine said with a smile as she opened the front door for them. Kevin nearly squeezed the life out of Edd when they saw what was on the other side.

All of their friends, ranging from the other two Eds to the complete set of the Kanker Sisters (plus Nazz) and every other kid from the Cul-De-Sac. The whole gang was finally back together. Once they saw the two boys standing starstruck in the doorway, the small crowd cheered 'surprise' and immediately glomped onto the couple.

Kevin squeezed Edd to his side protectively as their friends hugged at them. "Eddy-"

At the sound of the red-head calling his name, Eddy stood up from his spot at the breakfast bar and started to clear the crowd. "Alright, alright. Give Double D some space. Don't crowd- Wait, Marie-"

Marie pushed past her sisters and the shortest Ed to give her favorite fake ex-boyfriend a big hug. They hadn't seen each other since graduation and she had missed him dearly.

Quickly, Edd reached out his thin arms like a child and pulled the bluenette in for a tight hug. Kevin let his arm slide off of the man, but kept his hand placed firmly on the small of Edd's back just in case. There was no way that Edd was getting hurt on his watch. No way, no how.

"I missed you, 'D." she sniffled, burying her face into the crook of his neck.

"I missed you as well, Marie." he then pulled back and smiled happily at the woman and her girlfriend who stood behind her. "So tell me, how was California?"

The large group of friends moved into the small living room as the night progressed. Movies were watched, stories were told, and eventually Edd realized that his house had already been cleaned by Marie, Nazz, and Eddy hours prior to their arrival. So no aprons were worn that night, much to Kevin's disappointment. Edd, however, was slightly relieved. He was still drained from the ongoing chemo that would continue for the next couple weeks and if he being honest, he didn't want Kevin to see the long scar going down his chest from when his heart stopped in surgery or what the cancer had done to the rest of his body.

Kevin ended up escorting Edd to their bedroom once the genius had had enough of the party. Leaning heavily against the soldier's side, Edd let out a large yawn and opened the bedroom door. Once they were inside, it became apparent to him that the room had remained untouched since his last stay. The entire area smelled stale and sick.

Not finding the energy in him, Edd sunk down into the plush bed and sighed.

"Tired?"

Edd hummed and Kevin smiled, sitting down at the end of the bed and began to remove his socks and pants. Feeling the fabric of his pants slide down his bony hips, Edd closed his eyes and hummed again. "Not now Kev, I'm too tired."

The said red-head snorted a little as he continued to pull the pants down, revealing the smooth expanse of pale skin that he loved so much. "Don't worry," he mused. "I wasn't gonna do anything."

"Good," Edd said through a yawn, letting his body relax for the first time in what seemed like forever. Smirking, Kevin crawled over the smaller man and started to pull the shirt up over his head. "N-no, you can leave the shirt." Edd said, splaying his hands out over his stomach and chest to keep the fabric from going any higher. Kevin frowned and sat himself to the side of Edd, his hand still holding the hem of his shirt.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, why?"

Kevin scoffed and rolled his eyes."Because you're hiding yourself from me."

Edd flushed a deep red and averted his gaze. When did he become so self conscious of his body?

"Edd," Kevin said seriously, brushing a hand against the ravenette's cheek in hopes to quell whatever nerves he had. When he said nothing in response, Kevin pushed his hands away and slowly pulled the shirt up. "Oh, _Edd._ "

Kevin's breath caught in his throat as he took in the long bright pink scar that ran down the middle of his chest, making the scar over his stomach seem minuscule at best. Flicking his eyes back up to his boyfriend, he saw that Edd had covered his face in embarrassment.

After a moment or two of heavy silence, a small gasp from the ravenette resounded in the small bedroom. Kevin left a trail of chaste kisses from the bottom to the top where he skipped Edd's neck all together only to press a gentle kiss on the other boy's lips. "K-Kev-"

Kevin hushed him and pecked the tip of his nose. "Edd, you're beautiful. Don't ever try to hide yourself."

Opening up his wide blue eyes, Edd stared up at Kevin in mild shock. "You really think so?"

"Of course, I love you 'D. Remember that you're my everything. So believe me when I say that a little scar does nothing to change that."

Edd scoffed. "It's not little..."

 _"Edd."_

"Alright, alright." Edd laughed, wrapping an arm around Kevin's strong shoulders. "You're my everything too."

"And?" Kevin asked, leaning in close enough so that their lips were brushing.

"I love you too."

 _"Choice!"_


	51. Tell Me Baby

Author's Note: _(long+ potential spoilers)_

First off, I'd like to begin this meeting by thanking all of you who favorited, followed, or reviewed the last couple chapters. It meant a lot to me! (Wow. Such support. Much thanks.)

Secondly, I'd like to announce that my original character "Sy"that you all read about in Chapter 45, has wandered over to another fanfiction (Just A Friend by Dshell99) and will be staying over there until further notice. If you haven't read that story yet, I highly recommend it! It's cute, it's funny, and _oh the feels._

And Lastly, to the reviews!

 **Himetd-** (Chapter 48) Angst is love, angst is life and Dshell and I are internet spouses who merely feed off each other's feels. But for Edd to bring himself out of an abusive relationship, finding it in himself to forgive, and then falling in love with another man only to have his heart shattered. _Again._ You know what happens when "rip it off quick, like a band aid"?

PTSD happens. And yes, the storm is coming.

 **lLiepsna12-** (Chapter 48) You're review was a work of art in itself! You know what I do when I can't find words to explain how I feel? I go on Tumblr and post random gifs. *holds you gently in my hands* -it's okay now. Daddy's here.

 **rx2-** (Chapter 48) WHOO! Send me a link to that story! I'm so happy for you!

 **Hazelbaum-** (Chapter 48) If you give me another chance, I'd like to fuck you up again (with my words)

 **Clouded Blade-** (Chapter 48) I just like to talk sometimes, secretly hoping someone talks back and a few of you have! I love chatting with you guys, but sometimes I get busy and I forget to respond (forgive me!)

 **Zookanini-** (Chapter 49) I don't have a life outside of fanfiction, I have _work!_ Literally working myself to death, only writing between the hours of 11pm-3am. And let's just say, it won't be _Edd's_ next tattoo that will get you excited.

 **Kenzie Parish-** (Chapter 49) Dang, girl. But sorry not sorry. Did you see that I followed you? Your blog is cute :)

 **Amythestdreams1991-** (Chapter 50) I WAS WAITING FOR YOU. I WAITED FOR SO LONG. First, I'd like to thank Grey's Anatomy for the "spot on" procedure. Thank you. Secondly, I'll be adding fuel to the Naomi fire soon. A lot of fuel (like hot diggity damn, that's too much fuel.)

As for Charles, what do you think? This goes out to everyone by the way! He'll be making his appearance eventually, coming in with a CRASH and going out with a BANG. Family drama, arguments in yet another foreign language, and a rather _unpleasant_ surprise that involves **MKB**.

And if there's not another 50 chapters coming, there will most definitely be a sequel.

Shit, sorry for the long A/N. I hate when people do that...

* * *

 _"Goddamn...shit!"_

Smacking the smoldering toast on the counter with a dish towel, Kevin grumbled under his breathe at the mess he had made. The eggs were burnt, the toast had caught on fire, the cinnamon rolls? He had no idea what happened to those to make them look so...wrong. Kevin never had the skills to cook a decent meal. It was always dinners at Nazz's house, Eddy's mother's house when Edd lived there, pizza from the hotel stay, and Edd's delicious dinners inside their own home. Sure, he could manage microwavable dinners like no one's business- but burgers on the grill? No way. Everything he cooked seemed to catch on fire somehow.

Now he was trying to make his Edd breakfast to celebrate their first day at home together but the man was failing miserably. Sighing, Kevin slapped the towel down on the still smoking eggs and began to toss the dishes into the sink while looking up places to eat on his phone.

By the time Edd had finally gotten up, all the evidence of Kevin's kitchen mishaps were gone. The way the redhead sat at the breakfast bar with a cup of coffee made him look almost _innocent,_ but Edd knew better.

"What was burning earlier?"

Kevin tried not to choke on his overly sweetened coffee. "Uhm, nothing...how did you sleep?"

Edd sniffled a little bit and turned over to the Keurig, his blue eyes still a bit bleary from just waking up and the soldier couldn't help but smile fondly at the guy. He still had a blanket wrapped around him and his hat sat lopsided on his head. "That wretched drug induced coma messed with my sleeping schedule. But other than that, it was _heavenly_."

Later that day after Edd had consumed enough coffee to finally clear his vision, Christine came by to take her boys to brunch courtesy of a text from Kevin. The trio went to a small restaurant in the outskirts of Lemon Brook as it had always secretly been Edd's favorite and to the ravenette's surprise, he was genuinely enjoying himself for what seemed like the first time in forever. Christine was also feeling better than ever as they all walked up to the building. Both of her sons were together, Edd was on the mend, and she had herself a _date!_

The man's name was David Carleson, a small business owner who just happened to run into Christine the day of his sister's cataract removal. At first, Christine had absolutely zero interest in the man. With Edd having bouts of seizures a couple rooms over, she barely gave him the time of day no matter how sweet his efforts might have been. But with the woman stuck inside his head like _dare he say a tumor,_ David simply had to get in on the devoted mother's good graces. So when he showed up at Edd's room with a small bouquet of flowers, Christine could have shot the man dead from the nerve of bringing her flowers while she was with her ill son.

Except, they weren't for her.

Surprise etched itself into her face as the man gingerly placed the flowers in a spare vase by Edd's bedside and just took a moment to gaze upon the young man with not a look of pity, but with one of admiration.

 _"I can tell he's been fighting for a long time."_

 _"Since he was practically a baby." Christine replied, not taking her eyes off of Edd's pale face._

 _David nodded and gave a little hum. "That's good. It means he won't be giving up anytime soon."_

 _"I know."  
_

 _"My sister passed away from a brain tumor when she was seventeen. I was nineteen, so I know how it goes."_

 _"Oh?"_

 _David nodded again, not making a move to sit in a nearby chair as he didn't want to overstep any boundaries. "Sylina gave up too soon and I believe that that was her biggest downfall. The doctors said that she could've lived for another five to ten years, but Sy...she was just a kid. As far as she was concerned, her life was over. So she just gave up and then two years later she was gone. So yes, I do know that it's hard all around."_

 _"Oh."_

 _"Your son's a fighter though. He'll turn out alright."_

Christine blinked a few times to clear her mind of the memory and quickly shot a smile at Kevin, who was patiently holding the door to the restaurant open for her.

"Thank you, Dear."

"No problem, Ma."

The brunch had went splendidly. Christine had announced that Edd's surgery had been declared Pro Bono, so the Vincent family wouldn't have to pay a cent. However, if they did end up having to pay, Christine had already planned to send half of the bill to her estranged husband, Charles. Which reminded her, she _really_ needed to sign and return those divorce papers that he had sent her weeks ago.

A quiet giggle ripped through her darkening thoughts and Christine turned her head to the two boys seated at the table with her. Their hands were clasped together under the table and Kevin was whispering something to Edd, making the younger cover his gap toothed smile through his fit of giggles. Checking her phone and finding that they had already been there a good hour and a half, Christine suggested that they take their leave. Her boys _obviously_ needed some alone time. Besides, she would be sure to take them out again the next day so she could gush about her date with David if everything went well.

All the while, no one seemed to notice a pair of eyes glaring at trio from the far corner of the restaurant.

...

After brunch, Edd still had some energy in him so they opted to go out and spend some time with their other friends. Marie, Nazz, Eddy, and Lee all went to the movies with them in the afternoon and the group finished off the night by stopping by the mall and having a greasy dinner in the food court.

"How ya feelin'?" Kevin asked once he and Edd had stepped back into the warm air of their house. Edd shivered a little as he got out of his thick coat and hung it up in the closet.

"Cold, but fine. You?"

Kevin shrugged as he came up next to Edd and hung up his coat as well. "Same," he said and then proceeded to wrap his tanned arms around the ravenette's thin waist. "Honestly I'm just ready to curl up with you in bed and warm up a bit."

"Um..." Edd mumbled, his usually pale face going a bright red. He still wasn't used to the intimate contact after so many months apart and he _oh so desperately_ wanted to change that. Edd didn't want Kevin to think he was fragile anymore. He was cancer free now. There were no more pills, just the small port that would remain in his chest for the next few weeks just to make sure that any trace of the cancer was gone. Now, with his steady hands and clear head, Edd just wanted to make Kevin realize just how much better he was.

"Um?" Kevin repeated, pressing his face into the crook of Edd's neck and swayed them back and forth the tiniest bit. Hesitantly, Edd pulled the redhead off of him and turned around to face his long time boyfriend.

"Can we do something else?"

Kevin cocked an eyebrow. "Like what?"

Edd felt his face burn hot and he lowered his cerulean eyes to the oak floors. Why did he have to make his so damn awkward? When he didn't respond after a few moments, Kevin suddenly got the hint. His lips formed an "O" shape and a small gasp was sucked through his lips. Edd wanted... _that._

Placing his hands on either side of the ravenette's face, Kevin tilted it up and gave the younger man a stern look. "Are you sure you want to..?"

Twisting his hands together out of old habit, Edd looked up into the redhead's eyes with a serious expression. "I just want to kiss you. I want to show you that I'm not as fragile as I may seem...I missed you, Kev."

His heart broke a little at Edd's words and the once suppressed guilt started to eat away at his insides. "I missed you too. We can do whatever you want, just as long as _you're_ ready. "

After a moment, Edd nodded in affirmation and Kevin slowly lowered his lips onto softer ones. The kiss started out simple, but it soon sparked a fire in both of the boys' guts that soon became a roaring inferno. Kevin gently pushed Edd against a nearby wall to deepen the kiss, but allowed him enough room for his still tender head. Winding his arms around Kevin's much higher neck, Edd stood on his tiptoes as they kissed, knowingly grinding their hips together. The action drew a low moan out of the redhead and he squeezed Edd tight against his sculpted body.

Edd's head was practically swimming at this point. Before, just the mere touch or a simple sweet gesture would have Edd on cloud nine, but this? This was like the excitement of his first time all over again or well- let's just say his first time with _Kevin._

The redhead let his large hands wander down to Edd's rear and pressed their hips even closer together- then it was Edd's turn to moan. The sound came out as needy and lustfilled from the ravenette's mouth and going directly into Kevin's. Taking a moment to slip his tongue into the other's mouth, Kevin then pulled back a few centimeters so he could talk. "May I...?"

 _"Please."_

Picking the man up with one arm, Kevin had Edd wrap his long legs around his narrow waist as they kissed passionately on the way to their bedroom. Kevin left little marks all over Edd's neck until they reached the bed, where the soldier settled him down on the plush comforter with the utmost care. "I love you." Kevin mumbled, his hands snaking up Edd's shirt a little, teasing and taking his sweet ass time as he got the ravenette all worked up.

Edd let out a high gasp as Kevin had pulled up his shirt high enough to locate and place one of the rosy nipples into his mouth, making sure to treat it _very_ well.

"I l- _ah_ -love you too..."


	52. Californication

Author's Note: Continuing on from the last chapter...

Wow! Another update? So fast? I remember the days where I would update twice a day...now it's more like once a week (insert sad face here.) But that doesn't mean that I don't love my story any less! I'm just having a bit of an issue of how I'm going to lay out and execute all these juicy plans. But no matter, HERE'S SOME SMUT.

YAY.

 **Please note that this chapter is rated M.**

* * *

Edd moaned into the sheets as after Kevin flipped him over onto his stomach and was pressing gentle kisses down his spine. Shirts and pants were abandoned as things progressed slowly, but Edd's hat stayed on his head. Usually it would be the first thing to go, but now things were different. There was no silky hair for Kevin to run his fingers through, there was just Edd and his hat which he absolutely refused to take off in his presence. If Kevin was honest with himself, it stung to hear the love of his life refuse to share a certain part of himself with him. But then again Kevin had a whole slew of secrets of his own, so he assumed it was only fair.

Running his hands down Edd's sides, Kevin's hands caught Edd's hips and gently pulled the man to his knees so that they were chest to back. Edd's hands were balled on top of his thighs as Kevin placed small pecks up and down his neck; the redhead's hands were keeping busy by exploring other _things._ Letting one hand dip beneath the waistband of his boxers, Kevin took the opportunity to tip Edd's head back with the other and allowed himself to kiss the sensitive spot behind the raven's ear. Edd moaned out something incoherent and just the mere sound of his voice sent the redhead straight to the edge. And once again he was reminded of his past mistakes.

He furrowed his eyebrows angrily. Why did _she_ have to keep popping into his head every time he and Edd were about to do anything even remotely intimate?! Letting his anger get the best of him, Kevin couldn't help but nip at the soft skin of Edd's ear in frustration. Another low moan came from his throat and Kevin took his hand out of the man's strained underwear. "Are you okay?"

Edd panted and slid his eyes over to the soldier with an almost _annoyed_ glare. "Of course." he panted.

"Good," Kevin said and gave a low chuckle. The sound practically sent shock waves through Edd and he gave a final warning moan. "Alright, I got it."

Kevin tenderly twirled the other around so that Edd was facing him and then he laid the man down on the plush pillows. "Just tell me if it's too much, please."

"I will, I promise."

With that, Kevin placed a gentle kiss on Edd's lips as he simultaneously fumbled with the nightstand drawer. Edd broke out in a fit of giggles after a few seconds of listening to Kevin trying to get the damned drawer unstuck.

"Fucking shit!" the soldier yelled in frustration and almost ripped the drawer clean out of its socket and Edd started to out right _cackle._ "Don't laugh!" Kevin slumped forward in defeat and buried his face in Edd's neck with a few sad chuckles. Edd wiped a stray tear away and patted the burly man on the back.

"It's alright, _citrouille._ No harm done."

"I ruined the mood. Plenty harm done." Kevin said, his voice muffled. After a moment or two the man sat back on his knees and rubbed his face vigorously to rid himself of the slight embarrassment. "Alright...we all good to go now?"

"Absolutely." Edd replied with a cheeky grin and flashed his gap. "How's the nightstand?"

"Shush. You're banned from speaking." Kevin said as he quickly snatched the bottle of lube from the splintered nightstand and began to apply a generous amount to both himself and Edd.

"What? You can't do that."

"Watch me."

"Oh, I- _mmh!_ "

Edd's sudden bout of sass was immediately silenced by the sensation of Kevin dipping a finger into his entrance. After giving a moment to adjust, one finger became two and then three. Edd writhed underneath the soldier as he made absolutely sure that the raven was ready for him. Like hell Kevin was going to make him uncomfortable in any way, shape, or form after being in pain for so many months. Now, Edd was going to feel complete bliss.

 _"Kevin..."_ Edd drawled out, his face flushing a light pink from all the attention. His arms were up above his head as if he were tied up, but was merely grabbing the frame of the bed for just the sake of something to hold on to.

"Banned, remember?"

Edd shot Kevin the dirtiest look he could muster as the infuriatingly charming redhead positioned himself at his entrance. Kevin merely smiled in response and bent over the smaller man to grab both of Edd's hands in one of his own and placed a loving kiss on his lips."But still, if it gets to be too much..."

"I know."

And with that, Kevin slowly began to push into Edd. At first the raven's face was mix of concentration and a little discomfort as he took the entirety of the man in, which was _a lot._ However, after a moment of allowing himself adjust once more, Edd had finally realized just how much he missed this. Not just sex, but the idea of simply being close to the athlete that captured his heart in high school.

 _"Oh God..."_ Edd gasped, his chest heaving with the sudden feeling of pleasure washing over him once Kevin had dared to move himself. His legs instinctively wrapped themselves around the narrow waist as Kevin continued to push in and out slowly. "K-Kevin..?"

"Yeah?"

 _"Faster."_

"Aye aye, Captain."

Edd couldn't control his face as it twisted into a twisted grin at Kevin's words, but it was quickly washed away when the soldier dutifully did as he was told and started to pound into him over and over again. The cries and whimpers that came from Edd could surely be heard around the unfortunate neighborhood as the coil inside of his gut began to wind itself tighter.

And then Kevin did something that he would _never_ forget. The man slowed his rhythm for a second only to come back with the smoothest hip roll that Edd had ever experienced and it nearly sent him straight over the edge. Noticing the effect that it had on the man pinned underneath of him, Kevin let a truly evil smirk crawl over his face and repeated the action. Edd's cries became louder as the evil things called hip rolls continued and soon he was begging for release.

Sensing his boyfriend's distress as well as his own, Kevin swiftly grabbed Edd's cock and started to jack him off. Edd let out a choked sob of relief and ecstasy as he finally came and Kevin wasn't too far behind. Just the sight of Edd lying in total bliss before him made his hips stutter and he spilled himself into the man he loved.

"I love you," Kevin panted, leaning down so that their sweaty foreheads were touching. Edd tiredly put his arms around Kevin's neck as he started to pull out and then pressed another kiss to Edd's lips when the raven let out a whine of discomfort.

"I love you too," Edd yawned once Kevin had collapsed next to him. "and I feel disgusting."

...

Over the next week of Kevin's stay, Edd had begun to notice a few quirks he had developed over the months that he had spent in Afghanistan. The sound of a car backfiring would cause the man to practically jump out of his skin, ceiling fans would make him shake, and the rain? The rain was the worst.

Edd had walked into the living room one afternoon to find Kevin sitting on the window seat just watching the sleet outside. The book that he had been reading was lying abandoned on the floor but his hands were still set like he had never dropped it. When Edd sat down next to Kevin, he found that those green eyes that he loved so much were _thousands_ of miles away.

"Kevin?"

Nothing.

"Kevin, Dear."

Still nothing.

Edd let out a light sigh as he placed a hand tenderly on Kevin's cheek and forced his gaze on himself instead of the winter storm outside. "Are you alright?"

Kevin blinked a few times as he came back to the present and gave a convincing lopsided grin. "Y-yeah, I'm okay."

 _"Kevin."_

The said man sighed, he knew that tone all too well. It was Edd's "Don't Fucking Lie to Me, I'll Kick Your Ass" tone. True that the raven was considerably weaker than the soldier, but Kevin had no doubts that Edd had a mean right hook. If he ever ran into Jarad Forbes again from school, he'd be sure to comment on his smile.

"Jackson."

"Who?"

"Jackson. He's...he _was_ in my squadron. We got ambushed one day on patrol. The bullets...they were like rain." he said and looked back out the window with a distant look on his face.

"And you two were friends, right?"

"Yeah."

Edd was quiet for a moment as he gazed out at the rain along side Kevin, only imagining what horrors the man must have faced out there.

"I'd like to hear more about Jackson when you're ready, Kev."

Kevin's green eyes slid over to meet honest blue and his heart swelled a little. "Why?"

"Because," Edd began, grasping both of Kevin's hands in his own. "if Jackson was important to you, then he's important to me too. Communication is key to keep the memories of lost loved ones' intact."

Kevin smiled a little and rubbed his thumb over the top of Edd's hand. "How'd you know that he was important to me?"

"Because you're afraid of the rain, Kevin."


	53. Forever

Author's Note: So I've got 5 ongoing stories on here now. All I can say is this is going to be A LOT of work to keep up on (good thing I don't have a life heh heh heh...)

But for the love of good ol' fashioned drama, punk-rock bands, prostitutes, merbabies, and heavy feels, I must continue. And I'm happy to announce that this story is _really_ gonna get interesting soon! I'm kicking things up a notch. Shonda Rhymes would be proud!

Anyhow, thanks for all the wonderful support, I love you guys! And if you enjoyed the chapter, please just take a second to review. I'd appreciate it! :)

* * *

It was Kevin's last night at home and the two were spending it in style. They had gone out to dinner, watched a few movies, and even when Kevin carried Edd back to their bedroom, their night was far from over.

 _"Kevin,"_

The soldier chuckled a little at his boyfriend's moans but continued to place little chaste kisses on Edd's lips as he kicked open their bedroom door. "Yes?" he asked innocently, enjoying the feeling of Edd's ass that was cupped in his hand.

"Please."

Kevin chuckled again and lightly threw Edd on the bed, causing the other man to squeak. "Hold on a sec." he said and placed one more passionate kiss on Edd's lips before giving his trademark smirk and wandering over to the closet. A look of frustration (probably sexually) and disappointment crossed Edd's face as Kevin left him abandoned on their bed, which was _much too neat_ if he had anything to say about it. "Here, put these on."

Edd flinched as a pair of nice jeans and a shirt hit him in the face. After a moment of inspecting them, the ravenette looked over at his boyfriend with a cocked eyebrow. "You want me to get _dressed_?"

Kevin nodded. "Yep."

"Why are you doing this to me." Edd groaned, dropping the clothing as he realized that his raging erection was not going to be fixed anytime soon. Kevin walked over and crouched down so that he was shorter that Edd, who was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Because," he said and grabbed both of Edd's pale hands. "The night is still young. We've got stuff to do."

Edd groaned again and Kevin smiled wider. "What stuff?"

"Go shower or do whatever you gotta do, alright? And it's a surprise, so I'm not really supposed to tell you."

Edd groaned a third and final time before reluctantly getting off of the bed and walking into the bathroom across the hall. He just _knew_ something fishy was going on with Kevin. The man had been acting twitchy all week, the winter rain incident aside, Edd had a feeling something was happening.

He thought about it thoroughly as he stepped into the steaming shower and began to scrub his skin. Edd nearly laughed aloud when he grabbed the bottle of shampoo in the midst of his thoughts and tried to squeeze some in the palm of his hand.

 _He had no hair._

Giving an indignant snort, he tossed the bottle back onto the little built in shelf and finished washing himself. Although Edd had to admit, without the hassle of washing his once wild hair, showers had become much more efficient. But he knew he would be kissing his port goodbye for good soon and those inky locks he missed so much would return.

Stepping out of the shower, Edd quickly dried himself off and stared at the outfit that Kevin had chosen for him. The jeans were nice as they were slim fitting black jeans. The top was a simple red short sleeved shirt. A white leather belt was thrown into the mix and Edd couldn't help but squint at the articles of clothing, silently hoping they would tell him what Kevin's secret was.

Once Edd put on his beloved beanie and stepped out of the bathroom, he wandered down to the kitchen to find Kevin leaning against the counter on his phone, looking absolutely dashing. He was in a pair of dark blue jeans that were faded at the knees and one of his old varsity sweatshirts plus the infamous red snapback that Kevin always wore in high school was back in it's rightful spot- placed backwards on his head with a few short locks of auburn hair sticking out the front.

Edd was lost in a sea of nostalgia once Kevin noticed him standing there. A smile crept across the redhead's face as he stepped closer and gently wrapped his arms around Edd's waist and pulled him close. "You look amazing." Kevin said softly into the other's ear, the heat of his breath made Edd shiver in delight.

"So do you, Kevin. Thank you."

"Ready to go then?"

Edd sighed with a nervous smile. "I suppose."

...

About fifteen minutes into the ride, the boys were already out of town and heading west. To where? Edd had no idea as there was nothing really worth seeing out there. Just mountains and trees. Sure, there were small vacation homes you could rent, but with Kevin leaving the next day, staying in one for just one night would seem stupid to Edd.

"Hey Babe?" Kevin asked, not looking away from the road.

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"How..." Kevin coughed a little and furrowed his brows. "How do mermaids have babies?"

Edd sputtered and broke into a fit of hysterical giggles. "What?! Where did that come from?"

Kevin shrugged and tried to fight the growing smile on his face. "I've been thinking about this for almost two hours, Edd. I need to know how it's done."

Edd laughed and scratched the back on his head as he tried to think. "Oh God, uh..well mermaids are like fish? So I'd assume fish eggs?"

 _"Fish eggs?!"_ Kevin shuddered and glanced over at his boyfriend with a concerned face. "I thought it would be a little more...special than that."

The two then spent the remainder of the trip discussing the possible ways that mermaids and mermen could have babies without the concept of eggs. Then what had started out as an innocent and silly conversation turned into a full blown argument. Edd was insisting that eggs were the logical way to go whilst Kevin was totally convinced that if the mer-people can lay down and take it, they can sit up and push it out.

"If you're so convinced, then why are we even arguing about this?!" Edd yelled, throwing his arms in the air.

"Because-I- I don't know! Eggs are weird! I don't wanna talk about it anymore..." Kevin said with a huff and slumped down in the driver's seat, defeated. Edd sighed and rubbed his face before laying a hand on the other's thigh as a sign of a truce.

"How about we just have our own babies and be happy with that?"

Kevin pouted as he pulled off onto a back road. "Hey, I've been trying to get your ass pregnant for _months_ , D."

Edd put a hand over his mouth to try to hide the strange blush. "Oh? And it's not working out well for you?"

"S'not my fault you have a hostile uterus. If you didn't, I'm sure we'd have an entire baseball team worth of kids right about now." the redhead said nonchalantly and Edd flushed even deeper. After a few more minutes of driving, Kevin sat up straight in his seat. "Close your eyes, were almost there."

Edd sighed. " Kevin-"

"Don't be a dweeb, Babe. Just do it." Kevin said, giving the man his best side eye with a killer smirk. Edd sighed again silently and did as he was told while crossing his arms across his chest.

Soon the car came to a slow halt and Edd could hear Kevin shift the gear into park. When Kevin hopped out of the car after a moment, the ravenette chewed on his bottom lip thoughtfully as he tried to figure out what his boyfriend was up to. Then his own door opened and a gentle kiss was placed on his lips as his seatbelt was undone.

"Put this on, it's cold out here." Kevin said in his low baritone voice as he slid to be what felt like the leather jacket that he gave Edd on his birthday a couple years prior. That day also happened to be the day of their first kiss.

"It's nearly the end of January, Dear." Edd said, the sass leaking into his voice as he slipped the cherished piece of clothing on and got out of the car.

"Don't be a smartass, Darling." Kevin sassed back. "I'm trying to be romantic here."

Kevin grabbed Edd's hands and walked them away from the car. Small flakes of snow began to fall slowly and Edd shivered. "Are we almost there?"

Kevin could be heard taking a deep breath as he squeezed Edd's hands. "Yeah, Babe. We're here. Open your eyes."

And when he did, Edd gasped quietly.

They were standing in front of a frozen lake that had what seemed like hundreds of paper lanterns floating above it, giving the area a beautiful warm glow. Across the way were the cabins that Edd had _dreamed_ of living in a little over a year ago, looking exactly the same as they always had. Then Edd noticed that along the shore of the lake were dozens of mason jars with tea lights, nestled deep in the snow giving the whole area an ethereal type of feel.

Edd was left breathless as he took in the gorgeous scene around him, it all seemed like something straight out of a fairytale book. And just when he remembered to inhale, Edd turned over to his boyfriend and lost his breath _all over again._

Kevin was on bended knee.

"Oh God," Edd breathed, covering his mouth with his hands out of shock and surprise.

 _"Edd,"_ Kevin said in a gravelly voice that practically made Edd swoon. "I love you."

"Kevin..." Edd whispered, reaching out to grab one of Kevin's extended hands with one of his own.

"I love you so much." the redhead continued, his gaze never wavering. "I wish I could tell you just exactly how much I do, but I can't seem to find words that fit so bear with me."

Edd blinked away the sudden moisture in his eyes.

"When I'm with you, I just feel so warm and full. The way your eyes crinkle when you smile lights up my life, making me feel like I've never seen the sun before and it's absolutely breathtaking. Your laugh is like music to my ears and your eyes...when I see them, I know I'm home.

Ever since we started dating about a year and a half ago, I just _knew_ you were the one. Even when I was scared to come out and we kept us a secret, you faithfully stayed by my side- no matter what. And for that, I am _so_ grateful. For putting up with all my antics, silly arguments, and absence, I want to thank you for still staying by my side.

So with this, I only hope that you'll allow me to stay by yours for the rest of our lives. I love you Eddward Vincent. Will you do me the honor of becoming my talented, nerdy, breathtakingly beautiful husband?"

Edd was a sobbing mess by the end of Kevin's incredibly moving speech and sunk down to his knees in front of the man who had just offered him all the love and devotion he could ever want. The snow was freezing against his legs, but Edd didn't care. All he could do was stare at the simple diamond encrusted platinum band that was nestled in a red velvet box in front of him.

 _"Yes."_

Kevin let out a happy sob of his own and pulled his boyfriend turned official fiance into a passionate kiss in the snow. As he slid the ring onto Edd's thin finger, the two could hear loud cheers from a crowd of people.

Across the way, were all their friends and Edd's mother plus David, all cheering for the newly engaged couple. Edd only sobbed harder from the sheer happiness of it all as Kevin pulled him flush against his chest and waved to them.

"They helped me plan all of this," Kevin whispered to Edd, and then proceeded to kiss the trails of tears away.

"I love you so much." Edd said, pressing a slow, smoldering kiss to the other's lips that made both of their stomachs flip out of happiness. _This is how it would always be._

"I love you too, Baby."

"Forever?"

"Forever."


	54. The Call

Author's Note: ALRIGHT I'VE GOT SOME THINGS TO SAY.

 **zookanini:** *pulls down from table and into a tight hug, stroking your hair and looking worriedly out into the distance* Don't be upset, my love. All will be revealed soon.

 **Auntie Shara:** I am so _so_ sorry for the feels in advance. I have to balance out all this good with the bad.

 **Amythestdreams1991:** I've missed you too, dear. I always look forward to your reviews whenever I update! And by the by, you giving me scathing insults are my kink. Heh heh heh. (oh God)

 **Riss-in-wonderland:** Now why would you think that...

 **Hazelbaum:** You can't blame a bro for trying! Too bad this isn't an omegaverse fic...they'd probably have about fifteen (mer)babies by now!

 **Sarcasticgirl1:** Are you being real with me right now? I can't tell if your being sarcastic or not.. *slaps knee dramatically, followed up by sobs of shame*

 **Guest:** I will always be making more. Always. But this goes for all of my stories: it's not over until there's an **"The End."** at the bottom of the page. Thanks for your support, Anon!

And lastly...

 **nancersBRO:** BRO. You love me. Kevin knows it, Edd knows it, Anon knows it, hell. Even my wifey knows it! Thank you for your beautiful review, it made my day! Also, send a pic of your breathtaking sobbing face to me... *wink*

ALRIGHT SAILORS, LET'S GO.

* * *

The morning that Kevin left was the hardest, but also the easiest.

Neither Kevin nor Edd wanted to leave one another after just getting engaged about ten hours prior, but with the added comfort of knowing that they were endowed to each other. So the thousands of miles that would separate them for the next six to eighteen months didn't seem all that hard to deal with.

Edd had driven Kevin to the airport and walked with him to his desired gate, the two hand in hand the entire time. A passionate kiss was given and reciprocated which resulted in the applause of a few people that were standing nearby. Edd merely smiled into the kiss and pulled his fiance closer, soaking up the sensation of their bodies pressed together. The ravenette merely hoped that the memory would be enough to satiate him for the foreseeable future. Well, that and the diamond encrusted band on his left hand.

It had been four months since that day and so far, Edd's life was going great. His port had been removed two months ago, which meant his chemo was officially done. The scans were clear, the blood work was fine, and he felt great. Even his hair had started to grow back, now resembling something akin to a buzz cut and the ravenette learned to truly appreciate the value of a good meal. His thin frame had slowly begun to fill out into a healthier one to which _every one_ appreciated. Seeing Edd so utterly stick thin made all his friends plus Christine nervous.

"So have you heard from Kevin lately?" David asked as he knelt in the dirt with Edd as they planted new flowers for the upcoming summer. The near constant "April Showers" made it impossible to get any yard work done.

"Oh, yes. He sent me an e-mail last week. Apparently one of his friends transferred out of his squadron or something." Edd said as he placed a bulb in a hole in the ground and then began to cover it up.

"Damn, that's sad. I know how tough it can be when friends get split up in the army. My brother's a vet."

Edd cocked an eyebrow as he brushed the bits of dirt off of his apron. "Oh? How long?"

David sat back on his butt and leaned back on his hands. "Four years. Sammy got injured in combat though, so his tour got cut short."

"That's terrible! He's alright now though, I hope?"

The two continued to chat idly until Christine came outside a little while later with a tray full of lemonade and fruit. Both David and Edd accepted the drinks happily and hung out there just talking for a while until a black car came rolling slowly down the street.

Christine hummed to herself. "I wonder what they're doing."

David shrugged and took another sip of his drink. "Probably scoping out any houses for sale. My ma used to do that when we were little. It really creeped people out."

"Yeah, well it's creeping me out." Edd said, taking a long drink of his lemonade and turning his back to the car that slowed down even more once it was in front of his house. "I've seen that same exact car at least ten times in the past five months."

"Why haven't you called the cops?" Christine asked after the car had sped away down the street after a few seconds. Edd shrugged and stood up off the ground with the help of David.

"It's not like they come around every day. I'm sure I'd just seem paranoid to them." Edd chuckled and picked up the empty seed bags on the ground. "Let's go inside now. It looks like it's going to rain again soon."

...

 _"I miss you so much, D. Are you doin' okay?"_

Edd giggled a little as he held the phone between his ear and shoulder as he cooked his dinner. "I miss you too, Kev. And honestly? I'm fine! It's like everything's almost back to normal."

 _"Almost?"_

"Yeah, almost. You're not here to help me cook dinner. Five months is too long, _citroulle._ " Edd said, wiping his hands with his apron and then taking the phone back in his hand.

 _"Yeah yeah. I know, Baby. There's not really anything I can do about it though unless I get a finger shot off or something."_ the redhead chuckled through the other line.

"Kevin Alexander. Do. Not." Edd said, wagging a finger around in as if his fiance could actually see him. Kevin just laughed again. "Not funny!"

 _"Oh, it's very funny. But I'm still glad you're okay though. No headaches? No numbness or anything like that?"_

Edd shook his head and put the phone back on his shoulder and bent his neck sideways to pin it there. "Nope. I'm perfectly fine, although-"

"Is that my Kevin?" Christine called from the living room as she picked a movie for them to watch. It had become common for the two to have a weekly Mother-Son Movie Monday.

"Yes, Mother. Here, say-"

"KEVIN!" the woman squealed as she playfully snatched the phone out of Edd's hand. The raven merely shook his head and turned back to his dinner as Christine snuck back into the living room with the phone.

 _"Hey Ma, I miss you! How's David?"_

"I miss you too, Dear and David's fine. How're things going over there?" she asked as she sat down on the couch and picked up the remote.

 _"Eh, they're goin'. But hey, is Edd really okay? I'm worried he isn't being honest with me again. Y'know what happened last time. He kept me in the dark Ma!"_

"Well I can assure you that he's well. Although I could say that Edd's become kind of a junkie for food these days. And he _always_ has some sort of snack on him at all times. It's quite funny."

 _"Why do you think that is?"_ Kevin asked, the line popped and crackled a little. Christine shrugged as she finally picked a movie.

"Well it could be that after how many months of not being able to keep down a single cheerio and then the feeding tube, that Edd's learned to appreciate food a lot more than he did before. I just pray to God that he doesn't get-"

"Mother!" Edd screeched as he walked into the living room and snatched the phone out of his guilty mother's hands.

...

By month six was when Edd started to really miss his fiance. Again there was a long period without any contact whatsoever and it was _killing_ him. Their last conversation was three weeks ago, and it wasn't even that long! Just the simple "I love you, I miss you, stay strong" bullshit.

Although his reclaimed job as en EMT kept him busy enough his distract him for a few hours, the weight on his left hand always brought him back to wondering if Kevin was doing alright.

In the midst of his thoughts, Edd failed to notice one of his bosses walk up to him with a stern look on his face. "Vincent,"

"Yes sir?" the raven asked, rolling up one of his sleeves to get some fresh air. The summer heat had hit Peach Creek full on early this year.

"You have a phone call. They said it was important."

Edd cocked an eyebrow and stood up from his chair. "What is this about? Do you know?" he asked, starting to file away some of the finished papers on the small desk. A woman, fifty-four, was nicked by a bus earlier that morning. Dislocated shoulder and severe bruising were achieved, along with a massive pile of paperwork to fill out.

"No, they just said that they needed to reach you as soon as possible. Something about a bar."

Edd furrowed his eyebrows. "A bar..?" he asked himself as they walked slowly towards his boss's office. Then the realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

 _A Barr._

Edd raced to the office and picked up the phone that was lying on the large desk, waiting for him. Briggs, Edd's boss that had alerted him of the call stood by the doorway with his arms folded behind his back respectfully.

"H-hello? This is Eddward Vincent speaking." he said in a hurried voice.

 _"Mr. Vincent, this is Patricia from the U.S. Army Medical Reserves. I'm calling to inform you that Mr. Barr is currently receiving treatment in one of our facilities after an accident in the field."_


	55. Collapse

Author's Note: Here's to 36,000+ hits, 300+ reviews, and 100+ favorites and follows. You guys are amazing, and thank you for pulling me through this with all the kind words. A second thank you to all those who have found my Tumblr account and continue to reach out to me. I've made dozens of new friends thanks to this wonderful fandom and I even consider some you family. I only hope to reciprocate the same kindness to you all that has been so graciously given to me (if you'll have me.)

Shit will be hitting the fan from here on out.

Song choice for the chapter:

 _I hate u, I love u_ by Gnash feat. Olivia O'Brien (I feel like I might write a one-shot to this...)

* * *

It was the worst day of Edd's life.

Worse than watching the love of his life get brutally beaten by his drunk of a father, worse than the relapse, worse than being on the brink of death. All of that seemed so very insignificant now compared to what was running through his mind at the moment. His fiance could have been brain dead for all he knew, and that was basically nothing. The call was quick and to the point. Kevin was injured a few days prior and had been shipped to a hospital that was six hours away. So when Edd bolted out of Briggs' office with his jacket and phone in hand, the man simply let him go. There was no stopping the ravenette when the man that made him whole was in trouble.

The first thing Edd did when he got to his car was to call his mother to tell her what was going on. Christine insisted that he stop at home and grab some clothes and other necessities before taking off, but he would have none of it. There would be no peace of mind until he was finally with Kevin, because even if the redhead wasn't with him in his time of need, Edd would sure as hell be there for Kevin's. Even if it meant a six hour car drive led by GPS while still in his uniform.

Christine had texted Edd to let her know that she would be on her way as soon as she could. David would be staying behind for this trip as he felt like his presence would prove to be more of a nuisance than helpful. Kevin didn't really know David as well as Edd did, but Christine was still thankful for her boyfriend's consideration for their feelings. She _really_ didn't feel like splitting her time between David an a hurt Kevin for she wanted to put all her attention on her second son.

The ride over to Grappleton Memorial Hospital seemed to drag on forever for the very tired ravenette after just finishing a twelve hour shift. Eventually Edd had to pull over at a rest stop around his fourth hour on the road to get something to eat to try to wake himself up, it was only noon at that point.

The last two hours were spent blasting the radio and trying to go the speed limit down the very unfamiliar stretch of highway. Christine had called a few times to ask if there were any updates despite only getting the call four hours prior and to also let him know that she was two hours behind him. Both mother and son were still in panicked states over their loved one.

...

 ** _*This part of the chapter has content that may trigger some readers! Feel free to skip this. Please PM me if you have any questions regarding the part that you were unable to or chose not to read.*_**

 _One week earlier..._

Kevin sighed as he shrugged his heavy gear over his shoulder. He, Don, a guy named Ivan and a few others were on patrol together that day. The sun beat down hard on their helmets, almost making them unbearably hot. Beads of sweat slid down the men's faces at a steady pace as their day wore on.

The group of five was along the outskirts of the small town. After Kevin returned from his wonderful two week leave, he discovered that things had gotten much _much_ worse. At least four people had either been killed or wounded in combat and a couple of the newer recruits such as Ivan were getting anxious. But on the flip side, Naomi had transferred out of his squadron and that put his mind at ease. There would be no more guilty pleasures or lonely temptations.

"Did you hear that?" the tall blonde said, his usually stoic face was contorted into one of underlying fear. Kevin looked back and glanced at the man's white knuckled grip on his gun with an almost _bored_ expression.

"No. Keep moving." he said and shot a look at Don who just shrugged. The area had been abandoned for a solid month. Anyone who would choose to stay here was entitled to a death wish. Old bombs were planted in the rubble, one wrong step and you were suddenly transformed into pink mist. Kevin had only ever seen it happen once to a woman named Michelle.

Not even a finger was found from her body. Just her pack, gun, and part of her blood splattered helmet.

As the small group reached a portion of road that laid between two crumbling buildings, Don held his hand up to signal for them to stop. "Keep a look out and watch your step."

The atmosphere had turned from tense to eerie in a matter of seconds. The only sound that could be heard were the howling winds through the buildings and the crunching of the rocks and sand beneath the soldiers' boots. "Guys, listen. Please tell me you hear that." Ivan said, once the sound of mismatched footsteps had passed them. No one said anything to the trembling blonde and Kevin couldn't help but flash back on Jackson. Some people just weren't made for war.

"Be ready to fire," Don said lowly, getting a firm grip on his gun and moved to creep along the wall of the building. The others quickly followed suit; the atmosphere was practically unbearable at this point. The smell of something burning could be detected in the air and Kevin immediately picked up his radio, but before he could say anything, the wall that they were against blew apart. Don fell back on Kevin and someone's gun went off a few times and the sound of crunching footsteps could be heard in the distance as the fire and debris rained down on them.

Kevin simply laid there for a moment with Don pinning him down as he desperately willed his head to stop spinning. A sound of crying could be heard and Kevin just wanted to scream. Not just from the situation at hand, but because of the fact that his lower half felt like it was _on fire._ Using whatever strength he had left, Kevin shoved Don off of him and let himself take a few deep breaths as the heavy load was forced off of his chest.

Sitting himself up on his elbows, Kevin let out a strangled gasp of pain as the movement jostled his legs. A large piece of concrete had embedded itself right above his right knee while the other one was just covered in cuts and blood. Feeling panic rise like bile in his throat, the redhead looked around for anyone else left in his troupe that was conscious.

But there wasn't. Kevin wasn't sure if he was the only one alive or not. Everyone else was either unconscious or dead.

Another explosion sent the concrete flying that had trapped his leg and a dark crimson liquid came oozing out of his leg at a steady pace. Kevin thought about his engagement as he angrily ripped off his belt and fastened it above his knee to try and slow the bleeding. Of course something like this would happen _two weeks_ before his next leave. This was supposed to be his last patrol until then. After today Kevin was supposed to help train the new recruits because the higher ups thought him to be _an exceptional soldier._ He was moving up in the world a mere hour ago, but now he couldn't drag his sorry ass over to a radio that was only ten feet away.

 _"I absolutely abhor the idea of you doing this...but you have all my support. I love you, but if you die out there, I'll use my paramedic skills to bring you back and kill you myself."_ Edd's words from last year buzzed around in his head like a swarm of angry bees as Kevin sat there and tried to block out the searing pain in his lower half. The sound of his heartbeat started to drown out the crackling of the flames nearby as his head started to grow light.

Sticking a finger in a hole in his jacket, Kevin ripped off part of the sleeve harshly and then promptly stuck the rough piece of cloth in this mouth as he scooted himself towards the abandoned radio. A streak of dirty blood followed him as he moved. Gunshots and explosions sounded like they were moving closer to them.

Kevin didn't exactly remember talking on the radio, or even reaching it at all. All he remembered was dragging himself over to it and then seeing a crying, shaking Ivan huddled against the opposite wall a few feet away. The soldier's blonde hair was matted to his forehead and one of his eyes were swollen shut. They simply stared at each other for what seemed like hours until one last bomb made everything go dark. Kevin had a faint recollection of a burning sensation and the sound of a chopper, but that was it.

Kevin just hoped that Edd would find it in his heart to forgive him if he didn't make it out of there alive.

...

 _"I'm sorry, I don't believe we've...I'm..."_

 _"No, my name's...nice to meet you. Have you...long?"_

A familiar sounding chuckle; his eyebrows furrowed slightly as the conversation continued to fade in and out.

 _"Yeah, we met...and you?"_

 _"In...we're..."_

 _"Oh! So you're Edd."_

Edd.

Kevin stirred a little and grimaced in discomfort. Suddenly, hands were all over him and he started to panic. Voices were shouting at him from all around and it was _terrifying._ Where was he? What about his troupe? It seemed like a thousand hands were holding him down as he started to thrash, but one voice in his ear seemed to calm the storm as soon as it started.

 _"Citroulle, Darling, calm down. I love you. I love you. I love you..."_

A small hand held the side of his face and Kevin reached up and clutched at it desperately with his eyes still closed. A few stray tears slipped down his face as the realization hit him that he was alive. Kevin was alive and apparently Edd was there with him. "Edd," he mumbled, cracking open his eyes the tiniest bit only to be blinded by the bright lights above him.

When he did finally manage however, he found himself staring into a certain pair of red rimmed blue eyes that he loved so much. "Edd," he breathed again. Just looking into his fiance's face gave him an unnatural sense of calm.

"Oh God, I'm so glad you're alive. When I got here they said that it was really touch and go for a while..." Edd said, wrapping his arms around Kevin and burying his head in the crook of his neck.

Kevin forced his better half away gently when he felt small droplets of water hit his battered skin. "You're crying..."

"Well _gee,_ I wonder why, Dumbass." Don said as he wheeled himself right next to Kevin's bed sporting one hell of a burned face and a broken arm. "He gets a call saying his man is seriously hurt. The dude drove _six hours_ here after his _twelve hour_ shift just to find out that your ass is fine- well, mostly." the man chuckled and placed his good hand on Kevin's shoulder to shake him a little. "Glad to see you finally awake though."

Kevin managed a small chuckle towards his friend's antics and shook Don's shoulder in return as a sign of their strong bond. They were practically brothers. When the redhead turned back to Edd, he frowned. His eyes held these terrible dark bags underneath them and his uniform was wrinkled from the trip over. The man looked like a hot mess and a seemingly permanent frown sat on his face.

"You drove _six hours_ just to see if I was alright?" Kevin asked, lacing his fingers with Edd's.

"Indeed. Mother and Eddy should be here too at some point as well..."

Kevin furrowed his brows and squeezed Edd's hand as a sinking feeling made itself present in his gut. "Edd, what's wrong..? Why're you crying again? I'm alright!"

Edd sniffled and chewed on his bottom lip, forcing his blue eyes to look into Kevin's confused green ones. "Not completely."

"What? What's wrong."

 _"Kevin,"_ Edd said, sounding a little choked up an stood up from his spot next to him on the bed. Kevin flickered his gaze over to Don and a doctor that was standing idly on the other side of the room. They all had the same look on their faces; fear mixed with devastation. "I am so, so sorry."

Kevin was about to question him, but the doctor come forth and gave him a steady look. "Mr. Barr, your body has sustained a lot of damage in the field. We did _everything_ that we could to save it, but the infection was rampant. Mr. Vincent has agreed to set up a support network for you and the Army has also agreed to help in any way possible. What you're about to see will shock you, but please try to stay calm."

Kevin's heart started to pound as the doctor talked to him and the hand that Edd hand clamped onto his shoulder seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. Then, everything collapsed when the doctor gently pulled back the sheets on his bed.

His leg was gone.


	56. The Bigger Picture

Edd stood there with a hand over his mouth as Kevin took in the scene before him. His hands lay limp by his sides on the bed and his face was unreadable. Kevin's right leg had been amputated a little above his knee, so without hiking up the hospital gown, all that could be seen was a gauze covered stump that poked out from underneath the thin fabric. Edd let his tired eyes flicker back to the man that was apparently in shock over the missing limb by the way his silence pierced the air better than any boisterous voice could. "Kevin, Darling..."

Kevin jumped a little as Edd laid his hand on his tense shoulder, but made no attempt to look up at his fiance. Don caught a flash of stress and devastation across the redhead's face and tapped on the doctor's arm. "We should give them some alone time to process, yeah?" he said and looked up at the older man from his seat in the chair with a pointed look as if to say, "don't you dare argue with me. I'm his best friend, and I will fight you from my wheelchair."

The older doctor nodded after a moment and turned back to the couple on the other side of the room. "Uh, right. I'll be back in a few hours to check back up on you, Mr. Barr. Mr. Vincent, it was a pleasure."

Edd merely nodded to the doctor and Don as they exited the room and shut the door behind them. Then he turned his attention back to the man on the bed. "Kevin," he said again.

"Don't." Kevin said as he shook his head. "Don't say it."

Edd pursed his lips and sat on the edge of the bed with his hands folded on his lap. "Then what would you like me to say?" he tried, not knowing what to do to even give the hurting man an ounce of comfort. Kevin leaned back into the pillows and sighed irritably. There was nothing _to_ say. His leg was gone.

After a moment of silence, Edd sighed and pulled Kevin into a hug whether the man liked it or not. "Don't shut down on me, Kev. I love you."

"I'm not shutting down, I'm..I'm just tired." he said in the most convincing tone that he could. Edd pulled back and stared hard at Kevin, but decided not to push anything. If Kevin said he was tired, then so be it. While he was waiting for the redhead to wake up from his deep sleep hours prior, the ravenette had taken the liberty to do some research about the psychological effects that limb loss can have on people.

There was the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Plus, Kevin's self image and confidence were at risk. There were so many other small details about what his fiance would be experiencing that Edd felt completely overwhelmed by it all. But like all the past trials and tribulations that Edd had experienced in his life, it had proved important to just press on, try his hardest to make it through, and hope for the best.

About an hour later, Kevin finally drifted into an uneasy sleep. Edd felt like collapsing on the filthy floor between being awake for a straight twenty four hours and the emotional roller coaster that he had just experienced.

But the ride was far from over.

So after a moment of serious deliberation, Edd sat back on the small leather couch that was beside Kevin's bed, crossed his arms against his chest and let himself drift off ever so slowly into unconsciousness.

...

Kevin woke up in the early hours of the morning. It was still dark out, but he simply couldn't find it in himself to go back to sleep. When he did, Kevin was plagued with horrible dreams about the explosions that took away his ability to live a normal life. Everything would always be white and he would have the sensation of being tossed around like a rag doll among the fake ringing in his ears. So now, at two o'clock in the morning, the exhaustion was evident in Kevin's face but the man simply couldn't find the strength within himself to fall back asleep and relive his worst nightmare through his dreams.

He lolled his head to look over at the other side of the room where Edd was sleeping on the couch. He was slumped over with his arms still crossed against his chest but the dark circles underneath his eyes never wavered. A sense of guilt washed over the redhead as he lay trapped in his bed. He hadn't been there when Edd was trapped in his _own_ hospital bed and wishing he was dead...but now here he was, but for _him._ Apparently he had taken off like a bat out of hell after the hospital called him. A small twinge of pride was felt inside Kevin's chest at how loving and devoted his fiance was to him, but the guilt and disbelief quickly washed the feeling away.

This couldn't be happening. It didn't seem real at all. One moment he was baking in the hot sun in his uniform, the next he was lying bedridden in some hospital in The States and his leg was _gone._ Perhaps he was simply dreaming and he would wake up back in his trailer. Anything but _this_...this nightmare.

Hesitantly, he lowered one of his hands down to where his right leg used to be and grazed the stump with the tip of his fingers. Kevin flinched as he felt the lack of limb and let a small groan fall past his lips.

"Does it hurt?"

Kevin jumped a little and looked over at the couch. Edd was still in the same position that he was in before, except now Kevin had a pair of bleary cerulean eyes starting at him.

"N-no. It doesn't." he said and cast a sideways glace over to the ravenette to gauge his reaction. It was neutral, but Kevin could see a spark in those blue eyes that he loved so much. Edd sat up and cracked his back slowly before getting up off the couch and walking over to him. "What're you doing?" Kevin asked as he watched Edd start to unbutton the shirt of his uniform.

"Move over, I'm getting in." he said and carefully folded up the wrinkled shirt and set it on the nightstand. Edd was left standing in his black slacks and a white undershirt that showed off the mass of expanding marks on his skin. Now, his entire left arm was covered alone with the rest of his left side. The majority of the tattoos were flowers and it made him look absolutely breathtaking, even in the dark.

Kevin swallowed a lump in his throat and slid his bottom to the other side of the small bed so that Edd could crawl in. The smaller man slid an arm around Kevin's neck and used the other one to pull him into his chest. "I've never seen you so withdrawn before."

Feeling a small sting in his eyes, Kevin merely wrapped his arms around Edd's thin frame and buried his face into the ravenette's chest. Edd rubbed the short orange locks atop Kevin's head in an attempt to comfort him. "I know that this isn't something that I can even begin to understand...but I can try. All you have to do is let me in when you're ready."

Kevin started to shake a little at Edd's words and he clutched the other's undershirt in his hands desperately as he started to sob. "Oh God, Edd, _it's gone..._ "

"I know, I know." Edd said in a hushed voice, placing a chaste kiss on the top of Kevin's head.

"What am I supposed to do now, D? I don't know what to do. Being in the army was my entire plan. It was all I wanted to do."

Edd nodded and rested the side of his face on top of Kevin's head. "Well...all that we can do is keep moving forward. We'll tackle this day by day, but knowing you, it shouldn't take long to get you back on your A-game. You're still my same old Kevin, just a little different."

Kevin sniffled and pulled a way a little. "I'm not the same, D."

"Yes," Edd said and in one swift motion, managed to situate himself so that he was straddling the soldier in the bed somehow without hurting him. "you are."

"E-Edd, what-"

"You're still the same, see? The same slightly irritating cowlick right here." Edd said and ran a hand through the redhead's unruly bangs; Kevin began to relax at the feel of this more intimate touch.

"The same gorgeous green eyes and that incredibly handsome lopsided smirk of yours."

Kevin couldn't help but chuckle sadly at his love's attempts to make him feel better, but the tears that still ran down his face betrayed the laugh. "Edd..."

Edd wiped away the steady stream of tears with his thumbs and kissed the end of Kevin's nose. "You're still stubborn too, I can tell. You're laying here trying to convince yourself that your life will never be the same and you're right, it won't, but I think you're missing the bigger picture."

Kevin sniffled and raised an eyebrow. "Go on,"

Edd merely chuckled and booped the end of Kevin's nose with his finger. "Try to see the bigger picture, Darling. Nothing is as bad as it seems. But now it's almost three in the morning and I think you should get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us, I love you." he said and carefully slid off of Kevin's lap and back down beside him, immediately enveloping the redhead back into his arms once more.

"I love you," Edd said with a yawn.

"Love you too, D." Kevin said after a moment as he tried to wrap his head around Edd's words. He literally just lost his leg, how was he supposed to see this "bigger picture" bullshit? All in all, he just wanted to scream but Edd was falling asleep next to him. Kevin just didn't have the heart to wake up his fiance with his frustrations, especially when they were about Edd himself.

How could he possibly understand what it's like to lose a limb? To be in a war? To suffer from PTSD and panic attacks? Edd had no idea what Kevin was feeling.

Hell, maybe he wasn't even the same person anymore.


	57. Everything Is Blue

By the time Christine had arrived later that morning, there had been a considerable shift in the air. Kevin had barely said two words and his jaw was in a permanent clenched state. At first Edd had tried to ask what was ailing him, but Kevin merely shook his head and looked away. Christine too had even asked him what was on his mind, but not even the soothing voice of his adoptive mother could get the redhead to voice his thoughts.

According the doctors on Kevin's case, his surgery had went well and there was no other signs of infection. All of his other injuries were minor, so if the last check up went well and all the tests came back clean, Kevin had the green light to go home as long as he had a strong support group waiting for him. And he did! All of their friends from the cul-de-sac and even some of Kevin's friends from high school were willing to step forward to help their friend.

When Edd had stepped away to change into some clean clothes, Christine had followed him out into the hall with a worried look on his face. "Eddward, Dear, are you sure everything's alright? I've never seen Kevin like this before..."

Edd turned around to face his mother and sighed. "Mother, Kevin is...going through something that not even I fully understand. I look through every piece of information on this that I can and _still_ not know exactly what he's feeling. Just give him some time, alright? He'll come around."

"I know and I understand but...something just doesn't seem right."

"Just give him your patience and support, Mom. I'll be back in a few minutes." Edd said with a small smile and continued to walk down the long hallway to find a restroom to change in. Christine stared after her son for a few seconds before pursing her lips and stepping back into Kevin's room where the soldier was sitting up and flipping through some pamphlets about prosthesis options.

Christine sat down on the edge of the bed and picked up a pamphlet for herself and flipped through it casually as she struck up some conversation. "Kevin, I just want to let you know that I'm here to listen when you're ready to talk, alright?"

Kevin let out a small hum of acknowledgement, but said nothing else as he continued to read. Christine took that as her cue to keep talking. "And you know, Edd probably knows what you're going through more than anyone. So if you're ever looking to make a connection with anyone on _that_ level, just know that it's closer than you think."

Kevin cocked an eyebrow and looked up at the woman before him as if to say, _"How so?"_ Christine raised an eyebrow right back at him. "He was angry after he relapsed for the second time. He didn't want to talk to anyone about what was going on with his body because he didn't think anyone would truly understand what he was going through day after day."

Kevin snorted. "I would've."

"You weren't there, Kevin. You were deployed. But he would shut down for days on end and when I finally _did_ get him to talk, he would _scream._ And not just at me, but at everything. Bad things happen to good people, Kevin. Edd knows that, I know that, and you know it too." she explained and put a gentle hand on Kevin's as he slowly lowered the pamphlet onto the bed between his legs.

"But...Edd came back to me eventually, it just took a near death experience to do so. I guess what I'm saying is that you don't need to feel like you're all alone in this. Don't bring yourself to the edge just to realize that you had a whole other army behind you the entire time. You're my son and I love you." she said and leaned over to press a kiss onto the crown of Kevin's hanging head as the words sunk deep into him. "Alright, I'm done talking now."

"Thanks, Ma." he said after a moment of silence. "I think I needed to hear that."

Christine gave him a small smile and nodded. The two sat in comfortable silence as they waited for Edd to come back and Kevin took a few more moments to reflect on Christine's words. Perhaps Edd _did_ understand after all. Maybe not in the same way, but still, it's the inkling that counts.

Just then, Edd walked back into the room with a red v-neck and a pair of black jeans. It was the same outfit that Kevin had proposed to him in. "Everything is all good. We can head home if you're ready, Kevin."

Edd's heart almost stopped dead in his chest when Kevin shot a small smirk his way. "I am, let's go."

...

Later, when Christine had been whisked away to finish filling out the discharge forms like she always did when either one of her sons were in the hospital, Edd had the honor of helping Kevin get changed into his clothes.

"Alright, you can either stand up and do this or lay back and slide them on yourself." Edd said as he stood in front of Kevin swinging a pair of boxers on his finger. Kevin felt his face heat up as his unmentionables were being waved in the air, but merely held out his arms like a child as his answer. In all honesty, he _really_ didn't feel like touching his leg stump at the moment, or at all really. It was sad how his own body managed to disgust him these days.

Edd nodded and quickly grabbed a pair of basketball shorts from a nearby backpack and proceeded to slide both garments over Kevin's leg and thighs one after another before he pulled the man up onto his foot.

It was a little difficult as Kevin was six-foot-five compared to Edd's five-foot-seven stature. But the redhead wrapped his arms around Edd's shoulders as he pulled up his underwear and shorts to his slim hips. Kevin couldn't help but sigh a little bit as he felt the other's hands linger on the ripped plane of his stomach. It had been so long since they had last touched each other like this. The feeling was both welcomed and feared.

After a moment or two, Edd eased Kevin back onto the edge of the bed and took off the paper thin gown. Kevin watched with a soft expression as the love of his life catered to his every need, even if he didn't have to. It put a nice, warm spot right in the middle of his chest. "Hey, Edd?"

"Hm?"

"Have you ever had any...panic attacks? Or anything like that?" Kevin asked in a meek voice as he watched Edd fold up the gown and set it on the bed beside Kevin.

"Me? Of course. Everyone has had one at some point in their lives." Edd explained as he dug out a baby blue t-shirt out of the backpack and began to slide it over Kevin's head.

Kevin shook his head. "N-no. Like, _really_ bad panic attacks. All the time. Or weird dreams? I dunno, it sounds stupid..."

"No, not at all. I still have dreams every night that I'm trapped inside my own body. It's _terrifying_. I don't really sleep much anymore, even after all these months." he explained and stood back to look at his fiance who was still on the bed. Kevin had on a shocked, yet relieved look on his face and Edd thought that it had something to do with how _he_ was feeling. "You look so handsome, Kev."

Kevin blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Thank you."

"No problem. Here," the ravenette said and pulled up a wheelchair and put the brakes on it before pulling Kevin up once more. For a moment, the two simply stood there in each other's arms. For Kevin, it was easier for him to be close to Edd now that there was new information shared between them. They both have nightmares, they both have panic attacks, and they've shared a similar struggle. Now, Kevin knew that if he ever needed someone to talk to about his problems, Edd would be there.

Christine's words echoed in his mind about not waiting until the very last moment to realize that he was never alone. Kevin could only imagine how painful it was for Christine when her son wouldn't confide in her and he'd be damned if he unintentionally hurt the love of his life _again_ by being careless with his feelings.

"Kevin, are you alright?" Edd asked as he steadied the redhead and looked up into those forest green eyes with little uncertainty.

Kevin snapped out of his thoughts and managed a smirk as he gazed at his fiance. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just- thank you for everything."

Edd blushed like a madman when Kevin gave him a small peck on the lips as he eased himself into the wheelchair. He was elated that Kevin didn't seem like he was shutting down on him like he did the day before, but his actions proved even more confusing. First, he was depressed, then he was mad, and now? Now Kevin is showing him affection out of the blue and it was throwing the ravenette off something serious.

But little did Edd know, that the next couple months would be filled with even more confusion and frustration when it came to his fiance's actions.


	58. The Incident

Once the two boys had gotten home, Kevin was quick to grab his crutches and deposit himself in their room. Edd tried to ask if he needed help, but all that was given was a shake of the head and a strained smirk, leaving Edd and Christine full of concern back in the threshold of the house. The mother put a hand on her son's shoulder and a look was shared between the two; was Kevin really alright like he said he was?

Edd patted Christine's hand. "I'll be back in a moment." he said and walked off to his and Kevin's bedroom. When he stepped through the doorway, he spotted his favorite redhead sitting on the edge of the bed facing the window with the crutches leaning up against the wall. Edd leaned up against the frame of the door and took a minute to absorb the view of the hunched shoulders and the hanging head that made Kevin just seem _so sad._ "Kevin,"

The soldier twisted around a little to look at his fiance and offered him another strained smile. "What's up, Edd?"

"I just wanted to see if you needed anything- to see if you were okay." he said as he walked around the bed and took a seat next to him. Kevin rubbed the back of his neck a little and bowed his head; Edd could tell he was eyeing the stump where his right leg once was.

"Nah, I'm good. I'm just gonna try to sleep for a little bit, 'kay?"

Edd pursed his lips for a moment before tugging off his beanie to run a hand through his hair. It was still incredibly short, but the buzz cut style was slowly growing itself out. Kevin then went from eyeing the stump to eyeing his future husband. His face was etched in worry and his scar was on full display, especially with the short hair. "Alright, just yell if you need anything." Edd said with a peck to Kevin's cheek.

"Alright," Kevin said with his voice just above a whisper. He waited until he heard the door to the bedroom click closed before he laid down in the bed and tried for another night of restless sleep.

The next few weeks were increasingly difficult for the couple. Christine popped in as often as she could to be there for both of her boys, but it was proving to be a hard task to accomplish. Even after her little talk with Kevin when he was in the hospital, the man had closed himself off again and to be quite frank about it, Kevin was being an ass, albeit understandably so.

Edd, on the other hand, was at a crossroads of wanting to cry his eyes out at the thought of his love slipping right through his fingers and punching him in the throat (which was Marie's suggestion.) The bluenette had come back once again to visit her home town of Peach Creek and was currently sitting on the couch with Edd. She and Nazz would be staying with the blonde's parents for the summer, so she was over at her childhood home at the moment getting things unpacked.

Confusion and hurt filtered through her dark brown eyes as she gazed at her best friend from high school. A faded dark mark rested on his cheek and Edd looked like he hadn't slept right in days. "So," she began with her hands in the air. "care to explain this whole crap situation to me?"

Edd sighed and ran a hand over his face, but was careful not to touch his tender cheek. "Marie," he sighed.

"I'm sorry I just don't get it! He supposedly loves you! How could he do something so low?! And you two are supposed to be getting married? _Tch._ Alright." she said in an exasperated voice as Edd merely buried his face in his hands at her words.

"He does love me, Marie. You don't understand!" he said as he looked up at the bluenette from his spot on the couch when she started to pace.

Marie whirled around and jabbed a finger at him with wild eyes. " _I_ don't understand? That bastard hit you in the face! What's there to understand?"

"It wasn't his fault!" Edd practically screamed as he tried not to break down again. "It wasn't his fault..." he said again in a broken whisper as he closed his eyes and relived the memory from four days ago all over again.

 _They were getting better, they really were. Kevin had been fitted with a prosthetic leg and was starting to attend physical therapy much to Edd's insistence. The raven always went with Kevin to his appointments for support no matter what. Even if he just got done working third shift like he did every night at the hospital and Kevin's appointment was an hour afterwards, Edd was always there._

 _The acts of dedication were a huge part of Kevin's healing process. The way that Edd never left his side made him feel whole again. The redhead was slowly coming out of his seemingly permanent moodiness and returning to his old self. Even a joke or two had been shared between the couple._

 _"Hey Edd, what's martial arts called for amputees?"_

 _"Uhm, I have no idea."_

 _"Partial arts."_

 _"...Dear God, Kevin."_

 _But then everything went terribly wrong. After a week straight of working third shift, Edd was finally able to sleep in his own bed with Kevin in it. It was raining that night, the water pounded against the glass hard enough to make the window pane shudder from the force._

 _Edd was laying facing Kevin, towards the window. They had both been asleep for hours but the rain stirred something in Kevin. The bed jostled a little as nightmares began to plague the redhead's mind and Edd remained asleep as Kevin began to stir. And then he started to thrash._

 _With his green eyes clenched shut as if their life depended on it, Kevin let out a choked sob as metal rained down on him in his dreams. Edd blinked sleepily and sat up on one of his elbows, his mind not fully catching up with the situation at hand as he slowly came out of his sleepy stupor. The raven reached out a hand automatically to still the soldier, but Kevin reacted terribly to the sensation._

 _A startled yelp left the other's lips as a fist shot out and hit him hard in the face. Edd tumbled off the bed and hit the floor with a heavy thud. The lamp on the nightstand fell as the raven's foot kicked it during his fall and the glass shattered as it landed on the oak floor._

 _Kevin didn't actually calm down until Edd managed to peel himself off of the floor and stumble over to his side of the bed and grab his face with both hands. "Kevin! Kevin, wake up! Please!"_

 _Luckily, this time the redhead didn't panic when a pair of hands gripped either side of his face. Green eyes snapped open to immediately be met with the swollen face of his fiance. "Oh, God. Edd..."_

 _It wasn't his fault._

 _It was the rain's._

...

After the incident, Kevin refused to even look at Edd in the eye and it absolutely broke the raven's heart. He knew the guilt must have been eating the redhead alive, but to outright avoid your fiance? Edd just wanted to find a way past this.

Marie sunk back into the couch with a sullen expression and sighed. "Damn, D. I had no idea..."

Edd shrugged. "I had no idea that it had gotten that bad...but now he won't even come near me, Marie. I don't know what to do anymore..." he said. Marie pulled the man into a tight hug as he fell apart in her arms.

"...Are you positive that it wasn't his fault?" she asked and pulled back the slightest bit to look into his bleary oceanic eyes.

"Absolutely."

Marie swallowed a thick lump in her throat as she tried to think of what to say. Her best friend had just gotten punched in the face by his fiance, but it was out of Kevin's control. What could she possibly say to make Edd feel better without putting either of their relationships in danger?

"Edd, listen. If you're absolutely sure about this...then go talk to him and try to smooth things out."

"Marie, he won't listen-"

"Then you _make_ him listen to what you have to say. As far as I know and heard, Kevin is head over heels in love with you, dude. Besides, you two have gone through worse."

Edd looked into Marie's eyes in search of some sort of doubt, but found none. Marie had never steered him wrong before.

"I suppose you're right."

"Ya damn right that I am."


	59. The Confession

Author's Note: This chapter is pretty much just **rated M** the entire way through, yeah.

* * *

Later that night after Marie had gone back to her temporary home, Edd was standing in front of his and Kevin's closed bedroom door with a fist raised in midair. He _wanted_ to just walk in and bring Kevin into his arms and tell him that everything was going to be alright, but another part of him knew that it wasn't that simple. They were _both_ hurting in different ways at the moment and if Edd knew the man at all, he would know that the redhead had a _serious_ stubborn side. If Kevin didn't want to talk, then he wouldn't.

Sucking in a lungful of air, Edd knocked on the door and poked his head in. "Kevin?" he called. When he received no answer Edd opened the door a little wider and light from the hall poured into the room, illuminating the redhead's figure in the bed. His auburn hair had grown a bit in the few weeks that he had been home, now the locks had taken on a disheveled appearance. "Kevin," Edd tried again, but there was still no answer.

Slowly, the raven made his way over to the empty side of the bed and let a knee rest on the edge of the bed as he simply waited for his fiance to acknowledge his presence."Kevin just, _please_ talk to me..." Edd said and very tentatively, crawled over to the redhead and laid so that his forehead was resting between Kevin's shoulder blades. Small hands found their way to the muscled planes of Kevin's back and just the thick silence between them was enough to make the raven start to break down. A choked sob was held back behind clenched teeth and soon one of Edd's arms were wrapped tight around the other's midsection for some sort of comfort. "I'm so scared, Kev. You can't shut down and leave me here in the dark like this..."

Minutes passed before anything happened. Kevin had been lying there on his side simply staring at the wall while he listened to his fiance try to muffle his sobs. It shouldn't have been like this. It should have been the other way around with Kevin begging _him_ to talk because he wasn't the one with the bruise on the side of his face. Edd was.

The raven's breath hitched a little when he felt a calloused hand take his own and squeeze it tight to the other's chest. Nothing so intimate had been shared between them in _months._ The hug in the hospital was nothing compared to this simple gesture; it was hard to explain why, but it was true and eventually, Kevin turned over to that they were facing each other. Their hands were laced with each other, however the redhead made sure to keep his eyes averted to the sheets. Kevin's mouth opened like he _wanted_ to say something, but nothing came out and Edd pulled one of his hands out of Kevin's and tipped his chin up so that their eyes could meet. Guilty green met pleading blue and Kevin was finally able to form the words he _oh so desperately_ both wanted and needed to say for not only the past four days, but also for the last six months of secrecy. Everything that had been pushed to the back of his mind was coming down on him full force.

"I am _so_ sorry." he said in a broken whisper. "For everything."

"I forgive you."

Kevin swallowed a thick lump in his throat. "You shouldn't."

"But I do. It was an accident, you didn't mean it."

 _"Eddward,"_

Edd clamped his mouth shut and looked up at the redhead from underneath his ebony eyelashes. Kevin looked so incredibly guilty that he began to that that maybe they weren't talking about the same thing anymore. "Kevin," he said as he sat up and began to stare the man down and in that moment, Edd had never seen Kevin look so small.

Laying on his back, the once skin tight olive colored tank top hung loose on his frame from the lack of exercise. His usually bright green eyes were dull and his face held lines that Edd had never noticed before. "I love you, okay? Nothing you could ever say or do will change that."

Kevin was about to protest as he looked up at the raven haired beauty that was now leaning down to get closer to his face, but Edd's look of pure determination stopped him in his tracks. "I love you," he said again. "and if I have to _make_ you believe me, then so be it."

Before Kevin could properly react, Edd swooped in to press a gentle kiss on his lips. At first he tried to push the man away but soon found that the intimate contact would be the source of his undoing that evening. The redhead was quick to melt into the kisses that Edd was ravishing him with and hesitantly wrapped his arms around the other's neck to that he could pull their foreheads together. "I _do_ love you. I love you so, so much, Edd. I just don't wanna hurt you anymore."

"Oh, don't worry." Edd said as he gently crawled on top of Kevin so that he was straddling him. "You're not in charge tonight."

Another press of softy parted, heated lips to his and Kevin's soul was lit aflame. Another part of his body that had been seemingly dormant since his last sexual escapade with Edd nearly six months ago suddenly sprang back to life as well. The two continued to kiss and pet for a little while longer until both had become out of breath and simply too aroused to fool around any longer.

"Kev?"

"Yeah?" the soldier asked in a husky voice as he tried to clear his lust filled mind in order to hear what his fiance had to say.

Edd took a deep breath and looked at Kevin with hazy eyes. "Do you want to..?"

"Yes." he huffed, desperate for some relief.

"Are you-"

Kevin gripped Edd's hips and ground themselves together again. _"Yes."_

Edd took a shaky breath before crawling over to the nightstand and grabbing the essentials. Setting them to the side, the raven leaned up to press a chaste kiss on the other's lips before pulling Kevin's shirt over his head and proceeding to lead a trail of wet marks from his toned chest down to his pelvis. A small trail of auburn hair started from below Kevin's naval and disappeared underneath the waistband of his boxers. Edd's mouth watered a little at the thought of taking the redhead into him whole like they did so many months ago when they had first moved in. So much time had passed from that happy point and now here they were- about to have some very misguided make up sex over Kevin's PTSD.

Edd was quick to pull down the basketball shorts and underwear in one go. His wide, cerulean eyes immediately flickered to the stump where Kevin's leg had once been and then looked back up to said person to see that his arms were crossed over his eyes in some sort of defense. " _Citroulle,_ look at me."

Kevin held his arms still for another moment or two before slowly lowering them and upon looking down, his eyes blew wide open. Edd was sitting back on his knees, shirt off with scars and tattoos on full display, holding the stump of a leg as if it were the most precious thing in the world. "See? You're fine. This doesn't change anything." he said and proceeded to massage small circles into the muscle. A low grown escaped from Kevin's lips as his body began to fully relax for the first time in _months._ Edd's hands eventually wandered up to the redhead's hip and over to his shaft where he was quick to start jacking him off.

A flick of the wrist here and a little bit of added tongue there had Kevin writhing like a virgin underneath Edd's touch. It was only when the man was about to come apart was when Edd pulled away with a satisfied grin on his face. "Ready?"

"Oh _God_ yes, please."

With another flash of that gap toothed grin that Kevin loved so much, Edd reached over and snatched the lube and condom off of the other side of the bed and applied a generous amount to himself and then the other. Green eyes flew wide open when the redhead felt a slippery finger circle his entrance and sat up on his elbows. "Edd, _what-"_

"Remember when I said that you're not in charge tonight? Well I meant it." he said and proceeded to slip a single digit into the redhead's hole. Kevin immediately melted down into the mattress with a shaky moan and soon Edd had slipped a second finger in and began a scissoring motion to loosen the man up.

"Edd-Jesus! Just fuck me already!" Kevin whined as his body continued to writhe. Never before had he been touched like this. Every time it was either him pounding into the raven as hard as he could or Edd would be the one on top riding his cock like a horse. A small chuckle brought him out of his reverie and Edd slipped his fingers out of his entrance and poised himself over Kevin.

"As you wish."

Edd placed their foreheads together as he hefted one of Kevin's legs over his hip and aligned himself. Their breaths were hot against their faces as they breathed heavily with anticipation. Lacing their fingers together, the soldier pressed one more kiss onto Edd's mouth as the other slowly pushed into _him._ A hot wave of pain shot through Kevin as his fiance continued to fill him up to the brim.

A look of pain must have been evident in his face because soon Edd was pressing sweet kisses all over his face, repeating the phrase "I love you, I love you, I love you," over and over again. Kevin readily accepted the sloppy things once the raven was settled inside of him, waiting patiently for his body to adjust before plowing into him.

After a few minutes, Kevin nodded his head. "Alright."

Soon Edd was pounding into the redhead at warp factor nine and simultaneously making him scream to the heavens. With one hand clenched tight on his hip and the other one on the underside of the amputated leg's thigh and pushed back on it to get a better angle. As the two began to near their climaxes and Edd's rhythm became erratic, a few stray tears fell down Kevin's face as he held onto the headboard for dear life and cried out the name of his lover.

Edd finished on a gasp and leaned over an exhausted Kevin as they tried to catch their breaths. Tears continued to stream down Kevin's face at a steady rate as he felt the warm cum start to cool on his stomach and chest. At first Edd thought it was just sweat, but then a few broken sobs escaped his lips as everything came crashing down on him after the feeling of ecstasy and need left his body little by little. "Kevin? Kevin are you alright? What's wrong?"

"Edd, Baby, I'm so sorry." he said in a small voice and wiped a few tears away. Edd still loomed over him with two shaking arms on either side of the other's head and a _very_ confused look on his face.

Edd couldn't fight the feeling of sudden dread when his stomach dropped at the sound of Kevin's voice. What would be said next would _ruin_ him for months.

"Edd, I cheated."


	60. The Fight: Part One

Author's Note: In honor of Zookanini, one of my wonderful plotting waifus, as it was her birthday yesterday! (5/17/16)

And to an absolutely _amazing_ 60 chapter journey! Let's raise a glass of Merlot to all my supporters on Facebook, Tumblr, Wattpad, and Fanfiction. net! Without any of you, none of this would be possible. Y'all give me the motivation to keep moving forward with fresh new ideas. I love each and everyone of you and also, happy International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia! Sorry, I'm late to the party once again...it was yesterday...

Song choice for the chapter:

 _Crazy in Love (2014 Remix)_ by Beyonce

 _Running Out_ by Matoma

 _Unsteady_ by X Ambassadors

* * *

The words bounced around in his head heavily as he tried to grasp the meaning of them. Kevin stared up at him with fearful, bloodshot eyes as Edd simply stared back with blank, unseeing ones. "W-what?"

Kevin swallowed a thick lump in his throat and brought his hands up to rest on Edd's shoulders. "Edd...I-"n

The raven shook his head. "No. I heard what you said. I'm just asking what it _means._ " he said through tight lips. Kevin was taken aback by the incredibly tense tone in his voice, but pressed forward anyways.

"I slept with someone else while I was deployed. I am so _so_ sorry."

Edd closed his eyes tight and pulled himself out of Kevin. The redhead winced a little at the feeling but was quick to sit up despite the aching pain in his hips. "You...cheated on me? I don't understand. How could...?" the raven muttered broken sentences to himself as he scooted down to the end of the bed and held a hand to his scarred chest. Kevin moved after him and tried to place a hand on his shoulder, but Edd jerked out of the way. A sideways glace towards himself had the redhead _reeling._ The usually happy, serene oceanic eyes were wide and full of salty unshed tears that threatened to spill over at any moment. Kevin could practically hear his heart smash against the polished oak floors.

It was quiet for a few tense moments as Edd eventually stood up and began to gather his clothes off of their bedroom floor. Kevin kept a close eye on him as he himself began to slip on his abandoned basketball shorts from beside the bed along with his prosthetic. There was a far away look in the raven's eyes as he pulled his boxers on and grabbed a clean set of clothes from a dresser that was pressed up against the far wall. "Edd, are you-"

"I need to shower. Excuse me."

Kevin watched with furrowed brows as the man he loved exited the room without even a glance back at him. A cold sweat broke out over his tanned skin as Kevin realized what he had potentially done to his relationship with Edd. By doing the right thing and _finally_ coming out with that damned secret that's been haunting him for months, Kevin was at the point of possibly loosing everything.

But he wouldn't. Would he?

Back in the bathroom, Edd was trying to catch his breath in the shower. The water had long since gone cold and his hands were still clutched to his aching chest as he tried to make sense of it all. Kevin, the man that had made him whole, had officially succeeded in ripping his heart out with one sentence. Or well, the one act to be specific. Wait- was it only the one act? Just the thought of Kevin _touching_ someone else besides himself in an intimate way made his stomach turn.

"Oh, God." he said through clenched teeth as he blocked his eyes from the freezing water. Sorrow and devastation soon morphed into pure anger as more concerning thoughts started to form. "Oh, _God._ That bastard cheated on me..! And we had sex and...he waited until the end to tell me! _That bastard!_ "

Twisting the knobs to shut off the water a little too harshly, Edd stepped out of the shower with a fire burning in his gut. At first all he wanted to do was sit down, cry, and beg Kevin to tell him that it wasn't true and now? After a long ass shower and some time to reflect, Edd needed answers.

...

Kevin sat at the kitchen table with a glass of his father's Johnnie Walker as he thought about what was to come next. The sound of the shower had stopped long ago but the raven still had yet to show his face. Taking a sip of the burning alcohol, the redhead tried to calm his fried nerves but by this point, he was almost ready for glass number three. If anything, the whiskey made him even more on edge and dammit, if he couldn't smoke his stress away, Kevin was going to drink it instead.

His shoulders tensed up as he heard the sound of footsteps start to echo down the hallway and Kevin stared hard into his glass. Edd settled on taking a seat across from the redhead and once their eyes finally met, Kevin saw that the faraway look in his blue eyes were replaced with something akin to a raging fire.

"Edd-" he began, but the raven held up a hand to silence him.

"If you're going to apologize again, forget it. All I want...I want to hear exactly what happened."

Kevin swallowed a thick lump in his throat and grimaced. "By everything, you mean..?"

" _Everything._ I need to know why you felt the need to act so deplorably against me." Edd said as he leaned back in his chair with his hands folded against his chest. Kevin quirked a brow and actually had the nerve to fight back a chuckle. The fire in Edd's eyes raged even harder.

" _Against you?_ No. Nothing about us was against _you._ "

"So there was an 'us' then? What was their name?" Edd said, little by little the venom was becoming more evident in his voice. Kevin just sighed.

"Her name was Naomi and we only had sex once."

Edd's eye twitched. "How long did the affair last?"

Kevin's head snapped up and Edd actually had to repeat the question as it completely caught the redhead off guard. "I, uh...it wasn't exactly an affair, D. We were never official. Besides, it was only about three months."

Edd put his head in his hands and wheezed. " _Oh my God!_ Only three months?! I can't even believe that we're talking about you about your _whore_ so calmly!"

Kevin set his glass down with a sharp _clack_ sound and stood up from his chair, jabbing a finger in Edd's direction. "Hey. Naomi was a lot of things, but she wasn't a whore. And we're done now, so it's not like it even matters!"

"The hell, Kevin?! Now you're defending her?! Perhaps you should dump out your drink, it's messing with your head because of course it matters! It matters to _me!"_

Edd's chair squealed as it was pushed back and clattered to the floor. Their long anticipated screaming match finally started around twelve in the morning much to the neighbors' delight and neither man showed any signs of backing down anytime soon. Kevin's face was warm from the liquor and Edd's was as cold as ice from the betrayal and it radiated off of them in powerful waves.

"I've been nothing but supportive about this entire situation! From the point where you enlisted until an hour ago, I was _so_ fucking supportive. Now I come to find that you were cheating on me with some whore for _three goddamn months_ while you were deployedand you're saying that it doesn't matter?!"

Kevin scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You would know something about whores, Edd."

The raven stopped dead in his tracks and glared daggers at the man. "What is _that_ supposed to mean."

His words came out as a statement rather than a question and even though Kevin got the don't-you-dare vibe from it, he pressed on anyways. "I've heard stories about you and that Eduardo guy. I know what you two did. But did you ever stop to think that _you_ were just like one of _them_?"

"Kevin. Don't."

"You think you can go around calling some misguided girl a whore when you're no better? That's fucking pathetic."

A fire built up in Edd so fast that his mind didn't even register what happened next.

A step, then a slap echoed throughout the house and Kevin finally snapped.


	61. The Fight: Part Two

Author's Note: A special thanks to Zookanini and Dshell99 for helping me plot out this fight. They are the true masterminds behind this evil thing, I swear.

And the winner for the Facebook poll is C by a landslide. Literally, I was shocked. So sadly, no. There will be no sinning on the kitchen floor this chapter. Sorry guys, maybe next time.

* * *

Kevin held his cheek in stunned silence as he stared down at his trembling fiance. Edd's face was a deep shade of red and his fists were clenched down at his sides. "The fuck, Edd?!"

The raven flinched at the man's tone but stepped forward anyways and now it was _his_ turn to jab a finger in _Kevin's_ face. "No! You do _not_ get to call me a whore. _I_ never slept with anyone else when Eduardo and I were together, he did. But you know what? He was there for me when I needed someone. _You_ weren't even there for me when I was _dying._ "

"What? You couldn't take a little radiation? I took _bombs_ for you!"

Tears streamed down Edd's face as their screaming match escalated. "Dammit Kevin, this isn't a competition! I had cancer, I was dying and you took the first woman you saw and fucked her brains out. I was lying in the hospital _dead_ , and you still had to get your dick wet!"

Kevin threw his hands up in the air and laughed a little. "Yeah, okay whatever. Use your cancer as a crutch again, Edd because you _always_ do."

"Excuse me?!"

"You always used your cancer as a crutch, Edd. You acted all modest like it would never hurt you, but you secretly loved the attention. _You_ used your cancer as a chain so I would have to come back to you, by pity if anything."

Edd's eyes went wide at the redhead's words and gripped the counter for support. "I used my cancer as a chain?! Are you _kidding_ me right now?! I didn't even tell you _half_ of what happened because I didn't want you to get yourself _killed_ and that worked out well! You were so distracted by your play-thing that you got your goddamned leg blown off! I hope the sex was worth it."

Kevin snorted and crossed his arms. "Totally. I didn't have to teach her how to suck me off the first time either. Eduardo did a terrible time teaching you between all his other whores."

Edd scrubbed his face harshly and let out a frustrated yell as the man that he once thought loved him continued to sling a continuous string of insults at him. Grabbing one of the coffee mugs on the counter, Edd whipped it at Kevin with such speed that any star pitcher would have been proud. Unfortunately, the redhead dodged the cup and Edd wiped away a few angry tears. "At least he knew how to fuck me right the first time." he said, his voice was barely over a whisper but the anger was still seeded deep in his tone. Kevin blanched at the snarky comment and pounded his fist on the table a few times purely out of aggravation.

"You were the one who taught me!"

"You were always a terrible student!" Edd screamed as he threw another mug at the man, it just _barely_ missed his head. " _Maybe_ if you paid attention, you'd still have your leg!"

"Well maybe you should change something, _Edd._ " Kevin roared, his voice reaching a volume that would surely prompt the neighbors to call up some sort of intervention. "You couldn't even keep me from cheating and my name is on your goddamn finger!"

"Well excuse me for expecting a Barr man to be faithful and do the right thing, but then again I should've already known."

Kevin took a few steps forward with a shaking fist. "What. _The fuck._ Is that supposed to mean." he asked in a warning tone. Edd was quick to avoid the redhead's advances and slip around the other side of the table and snatch up the glass of whisky.

Edd raised the glass up to his face and glanced at the liquid before sliding his icy blue eyes over to Kevin. "Already following in Daddy's footsteps, aren't we?"

Feeling something snap inside of him, Kevin lunged forward and knocked the heavy glass out of Edd's hand and sent to flying towards the the fridge where it shattered into a thousand pieces. "You shut your fuckin' mouth or I swear to God that I'll shut it for you."

"Oh, be my guest. Please knock my ass out because _anything_ would be better than standing here listening to you degrade me even more than you already have. Or better yet, why don't you just fucking leave me already since my goddamn cancer had apparently guilted you into proposing."

Kevin's rage slowly started to melt away at Edd's halfhearted rant. The anger was slowly seeping out of his voice and the man stood slumped against the kitchen counter. Suddenly, all the years of dealing with Eduardo's bullshit and the lack of self worth came rushing back and Edd visibly deflated.

"You know I love you, I really do. But I'm dying here."

Kevin swallowed a lump in his throat and the guilt of his words threatened to eat him whole. "Y-yeah. I know."

Edd nodded and looked away from a pair of torn green eyes before pushing off the counter after a few minutes of silence and brushed past Kevin into the entryway of their home. "Jarad couldn't kill me. Your father couldn't kill me. Not even the brain cancer could kill me...but you. _You're_ killing me. I want to help but you won't let me. You keep pushing everyone away and when the time comes for me to finally get close to you after _months_ of being apart...you tell me you cheated on me. You called me a _whore._ A selfish, no good whore that obviously can't hold on to anyone to save his life."

Hurt blue turned on guilty green as Edd opened the front door. "I know I said a lot of hurtful things too, but let me tell you that I am _anything_ but selfish, Kevin."

"Where're you going?"

"Out. I need to breathe and I can't do it here."

...

"Thanks for coming with me, I appreciate it."

Eddy shrugged as he took a drink of his beer and eyed his friend from the next seat over. Edd was slumped over on the bar with some sort of cocktail clutched in his hand; his face was red and puffy from a lot of obvious crying. "Uh, yeah. No problem, D."

The bartender shot a look at the shortest of the Eds and he just shrugged. The owner of the bar was an old friend of his dad's, so the two had no problem walking into one of the smaller pubs on The Strip and ordering their drinks. "So ya gonna tell me what's up or no? 'Cause I'm not gonna lie, you look like hell."

Edd pushed off the counter and adjusted his hat with one hand while he took another long sip of his drink. Something incoherent was lost in the vodka.

"What was that? Take your lips off of the glass this time."

Edd sighed and closed his eyes as he somewhat enjoyed the feeling of the burning alcohol as it touched the back of his throat. "He cheated."

"Who did what?"

"Kevin cheated on me with some woman he met in the army."

Eddy stood up and nearly knocked his drink over. "He _what_?! I'll kill him! I'll kill that smug sonofa-"

"Eddy, _shush!_ Killing him won't do anyone much good. We fought for a long time and a lot of stuff was said. I think we both just need to sit and reflect for a little bit." Edd said and finished off his drink and set the glass upside down on the bar. Eddy eyed the raven suspiciously for a few seconds before lowering himself back onto the bar stool and finished his own drink.

"Well, whatever. I don't like any of this. But if you _do_ need me to kill 'em for ya, just know that I got connections, alright? Cool. Want another round?"

Edd shook his head and slid off of his chair. "No thanks, I just want to get some air right now." he said and motioned for his friend to follow him as he headed towards the door. Slapping a crisp bill on the counter, Eddy jogged after his friend and shoved his hands into his pockets.

The night was cool as the two stepped out onto The Strip. People were just now beginning to leave for the night and soon the usually packed lot would sit empty until the next night. The two Eds walked towards the end of The Strip where the bustling bars transformed into different types of restaurants where the neon signs alone could light up the road. The two boys passed jokes back and forth until the raven haired teen finally managed to shake off the dread and insecurity of the fight that he and his partner had hours prior.

"Let's cross here and we can circle back."

Eddy slung an arm around Edd's neck as they joked and pulled the other's head down a little. Between the laughing, the buzz of their minds, and the barking dogs in the distance, neither of them heard the sound of squealing tires.

And perhaps, if Eddy had been taller and not had to pull Edd's head down and away from the road, they would have noticed the pair of headlights coming straight towards them.


	62. Breathe (2am)

Author's Note: If you're not familiar with these ladies, please refer to chapter 45 and chapter 47.

Also, listen to _Breathe (2am)_ by Anna Nalick

 _Ever the Same_ by Rob Thomas

* * *

 _"You're almost done."_

 _A sigh. "I know, I kinda don't wanna go."_

 _"But you do."_

 _Ang looked over into a certain pair of blue eyes that she had come to love over the past few years and sighed again. Sy had been there for her since the beginning of the end. Every step of the way, she was there with an outstretched hand and adoration written all over her face. They loved each other to hell and back, but unlike Sy, Ang wasn't bound to the In Between. She had more lives to live, more friends to make, and other people to love._

 _Sy frowned and nodded a little as their fingers laced together. Ang's feelings were written all over her face._

 _"I do."_

...

Edd peeled his face off of the pavement and groaned. His arms shook as he moved them to push himself off of the hard pavement and his chest _ached._ Rolling himself over onto his back, Edd's eyes widened as he took in the scene before him. Steam billowed into the air from the crumpled hood of a black Chevy Volt as it came to it's final resting place on a teetering power line.

The lights on The Strip flickered as the pole swayed back and forth; the cables that were strung from pole to pole were the only things that were keeping the massive thing from collapsing onto the ground below. A few feet away, Eddy sat identical to Edd as they tended to their aching bodies and watched a single hubcap roll down the street. "Fucking drunks."

"Are you alright?" Edd asked as he slowly stood up and offered out a hand to his friend. Eddy nodded but his look of anger turned to one of concern as he witnessed his best friend clutching his chest and wheezing from the mere action of helping him up.

"Forget about me, are _you_ okay? You don't sound too hot."

Edd waved him off and turned his attention to the totaled vehicle. Faint sounds of someone crying could be heard from the other side of the street and the raven tugged on Eddy's shirt anxiously. "I'm fine, come on."

Supporting each other, the two walked over to the car and began looking through windows to see how many people were inside. "Why the fuck are all these windows tinted? I can't see shit!"

Edd gave a quick glance over to his friend before ripping the driver's side door open after some resistance. Inside was a woman who looked to be in her mid twenties. Her face had a few cuts and scrapes from the glass that had went flying during the impact and as soon as Edd saw a stream of blood running down from her ebony curls, his EMT training kicked in _hard_.

"Ma'am, are you alright? Can you hear me?"

Her wide brown eyes flickered over to him as she tried to catch her breath. A small nod let Edd know that he was on the right track. "Alright, that's good!" Edd said and began to slowly inspect the woman for other wounds. After a few minutes he waved an arm around to get Eddy's attention. "Call an ambulance while I keep an eye on her."

The shortest of the Eds nodded and dug around in his pockets for his cell phone. Edd took a moment to bend his head down and wheeze as another round of pain washed over him like a tsunami.

"A-are you alright sir?" the woman asked, her voice wavered as she tried to stay calm. Edd sent a small smile her way and waved the concern off once more.

"I'm fine, let's just focus on you now, okay? What's your name?" he asked as he inspected her distended stomach that was pressed against the steering wheel. The sounds of sirens could be heard in the distance as Edd followed his instincts and felt the seat between her legs. His eyes widened a tad when he pulled his hand back to find his fingers covered in blood. "How far along are you?"

The woman's face scrunched up from a sudden bout of pain and a shaky groan escaped her full lips. "S-seven months. Is my baby gonna be okay?"

Edd wiped the blood off on his pants and reached to hold the trembling woman's hand. "An ambulance is on its way, alright? We're gonna take good care of both of you."

Eddy stood by and nursed his aching arm as he watched the whole interaction with great curiosity. Seeing Edd in his element made him think that if there was even a smidgen of him being gay, that he'd totally be crushing on his best friend at that moment. Eddy shook his head and looked towards the sound of the sirens and almost laughed at how ludicrous the thought was. "D, they're here."

Edd looked towards the end of the block and nodded as he saw not one, but three ambulances and a whole slew of other vehicles come to a stop behind them. The woman gripped his hand like a vice as she tried not to panic and he turned to her after grabbing the cell phone from Eddy. "Is there anyone I can call for you? Your mother or the father perhaps?"

She shook her head and a small sob ripped through her frame. "C-call my momma for me." she said and reached over to her abandoned cell phone on the passenger's seat and handed it to him. Paramedics and firefighters ran towards the car and Edd was quick to back away but the woman protested. One hand was gripped onto her stomach while the other snatched his wrist desperately. "Please don't leave. I can't do this by myself."

Edd nodded but peeled her hand off of him nonetheless. "I'm not going anywhere, but I need to move to let the paramedics get you out of the car, okay?"

The woman nodded and Edd flipped open her phone to make a few calls as he walked away and the car was swarmed by the other on-call professionals. The raven bent over by a nearby trashcan and heaved his stomach's contents into it while handing the phone out to Eddy. "Jesus Edd, you alright?"

"Fine. Call her mother."

Edd grimaced and crouched down as his chest began to hurt like hell. Eddy put a comforting hand on his back as he began to talk on the phone. After a moment or two, he bent down to Edd's level with the phone pulled away from them. "What was her name? I'm trying to tell this lady that her daughter just hit us with her car but she doesn't believe me."

"Go ask one of the paramedics then." Edd wheezed as he tried to catch his breath. Eddy furrowed his brows but clamped his mouth shut at the mean look that his friend shot him and walked away.

Edd sat on the curb and pulled his knees up to his chest with his ankles crossed. Pulling out Eddy's cell, he scrolled down to Kevin's name in the contacts. He _wanted_ to call him up and tell him what just happened, but after everything they had said to each other, Edd ended up just flipping the phone shut and setting it on the ground beside him. His mouth spread into a crooked line as he tried not to cry from the sheer heartache of it all.

Eddy walked back over after a few minutes and handed the woman's phone to him. Edd rubbed his watery eyes and looked up at his friend. "So what was her name?"

"Naomi Thompson."

Edd then promptly threw up all over the sidewalk.

...

Kevin sat at his kitchen table with his head in his hands as Nazz stared him down hard from the other end. Her blonde hair was disheveled and she was _pissed._ Not only did he call her up at two in the morning, but he fucked up something fierce.

"Jesus Christ Nazz, I called him a _whore._ "

"I know. And from what I've heard, you called him one at _least_ five times. That's low." Nazz said as she watched her best friend wipe away a few frustrated tears.

"Yeah...I know. A lot of shit was said, I doubt he's ever gonna come home at this point. Oh _God,_ Nazz I'm gonna loose him. I-"

Kevin's blubbering was interrupted by his cellphone blaring from the kitchen counter. Wiping a few tears away, he got up and limped over to the counter. Nazz let her eyes travel down his frame and realized just how much he had changed since high school. Of course there was the sleek metal pole where his right leg once was that remained exposed from his basketball shorts, but there was more than that. He was taller, stronger, and over all...Kevin just looked older. Like all the stress in his life had suddenly hit him all at once. "Here," he said as he handed the phone to her. "It's Eddy, he wants to talk to you."

Nazz rolled her eyes and took the phone. "Hello? Yeah, I can do that. Why? _What?!_ Holy sh-okay! Are you guys alright? I wouldn't be so sure about that. You know how he is, Eddy. N-no, we'll be there in a few minutes. Yeah, bye."

"What happened?" Kevin asked as he watched Nazz scramble around for her shoes. He could feel his nerves start to bundle. Something was _definitely_ wrong.

Nazz shook her head a little as she slipped on her shoes. "I-I guess Eddy and Edd went drinking on The Strip and a car came out of nowhere. They're at the hospital now. We need to go." she said and turned to Kevin, only to find him rushing back into the room with a clean shirt on and his car keys in hand.

"Let's go."

...

Christine waited for Edd and Eddy in the ambulance bay clad in her blue scrubs. Her long ebony hair was tucked into her Derek Shepherd replica scrub cap that David had bought for her on their six month anniversary. Two ambulances pulled in and all the residents and interns scrambled to get the best case. However, half of them were thoroughly disappointed when the first patient was pulled out of the vehicle with only a few cuts and a broken arm.

When the second ambulance opened, all the interns jumped back when Edd hopped out with a wild look on his face. Christine immediately accepted her son into her arms and tried not to squeeze the life out of him. "What on Earth happened here?!"

Edd shook his head a little to clear his jumbled thoughts as he pulled away from the embrace. "There was a car accident and the woman-she-" he swallowed back a heavy lump in his throat and ran a hand over his face. "Just...take care of her, alright?"

Christine nodded as she began to walk away with the other group of interns and the patient. "I _am_ a doctor after all Eddward, it's what I do!"

Edd stood there for a few moments just going over the last half hour in his head. That woman, that _pregnant_ woman was Naomi. Granted, there was a certain chance that this wasn't _Kevin's_ Naomi. But still, just the mere situation made Edd's stomach churn something fierce. Putting a hand on his chest, he walked over to the side of the building to catch his breath that was becoming increasingly harder to keep.

"Are you alright, sir?"

Edd turned his face to see a tall, lavender haired doctor standing in the light of the ER entrance staring right at him. "'M fine."

"Sir, I think you should come inside so I can examine you."

Edd shook his head and inhaled a shallow, shaky breath. "I'm fine. Can you just tell me where my friend is? I need to go see him."

"Sir, I don't think you should-"

Edd huffed and threw his hands up in the air as he prayed. "I _swear_ to whatever higher power up there that keeps fucking my life over that I _will_ call my mother, the one and only Christine motherfucking Vincent, to come out here and show me where he is herself! Now, _please._ If you could be so kind."

The doctor nodded a little with her mouth agape and Edd sighed. Walking over to her, he put a finger underneath her chin and forced her mouth shut. As they walked inside with a respectable amount of tension between them, Edd sighed again. "What's your name?"

"A-Arvilla. Dr. Arvilla Brazooken."

Edd tried not to snicker at the last name and kept a straight face. "Well, Arvilla, I'm sorry I cursed at you. It's been a _very_ trying day and I just got hit by a car. I do hope that you can forgive me."

Arvilla merely nodded with wide eyes and shoved her hands into the pockets of her lab coat. "Of course. Forgive and forget, right?"

"Right."

Just then Christine walked out of one of the holding rooms for ER patients with an exhausted look on her face. Taking off her scrub cap with one hand, she scrubbed her face with the other as she headed towards the duo. "Eddward, we need to talk."

Arvilla took in the other woman's tone of voice and backed away from them a little, but stayed close enough to Edd just in case something were to happen. Because although the man looked "fine," her doctor's intuition told her otherwise.

"About what?"

Christine looked around for a second before leaning in to talk more lowly to him. "That woman in there, Naomi Thompson? I...I don't even know how to put this into words. She might have...I think she...she and Kevin, they...oh goodness." she mumbled with the scrub cap to her mouth and looked away; the tiniest of tears prickled at the corners of her eyes for her son.

Seeing this, Edd wrapped an arm around her neck and pulled her in close. "I know, mom. I know."

Christine hugged him back and wiped away an angry tear. "How could he do that to you?! Kevin was really lucky to find someone like you and he just...you two're engaged! Set to be married! He asks me for my blessing and then he turns around and gives some poor girl a baby?!"

Edd's chest visibly jerked at her words and he backed away with wide eyes. "He _what?!_ "

"She asked me to contact the father and I asked who it was. And she said 'Kevin Barr' and when she saw the look on my face, she asked if I knew him! Holy hell, Edd! I can't even see straight right now, I'm just so...so- _Edd?!_ "

As his breathing picked up throughout the course of his mother's story, the pain in Edd's chest grew to an unbearable point and not from the fact that he was hit by a car, but also from the sheer heartache of it all. Arvilla's instincts proved to be true when she scrambled forward to catch the raven before his head could crack against the floor.

Laying him down on the ground, Arvilla and Christine knelt beside the young man and began shouting orders at the interns. The two older doctors on the ground bickered angrily back and forth about Edd's lack of examination that _should_ have occurred when they first arrived, but Arvilla was ranting on about his threats against her. In the end of it all, what was revealed after Christine ripped open the front of Edd's shirt silenced them both. Thick purple and black bruises were like trails on Edd's ribs where the car's hood had smashed into him. His chest expanded and deflated at an unsteady rate and it was clear that his breathing had been compromised.

"Oh my God, is that..?"

Christine's eyes snapped up to Arvilla's and she started screaming. "Someone get me an oxygen mask and book an OR! Page Ortho and have them meet us down there!"

"I need a chest tube!"

"We've got a compromised flail chest over here!"

And as the doctors and nurses worked at the speed of sound to save Dr. Vincent's beloved son, no one noticed the pair of terrified green eyes that watched on from the end of the hall.

Nazz looked over to Kevin with a worried expression and put a hand on his shoulder. "Kevin..."

"H-he's hurt. Edd's hurt again."

"Kevin,"

The redhead blinked twice before sniffing and looking down at his best friend. "Edd might be dying again and I'm gonna be a dad."


	63. Overload

Author's Note:

Nathan Goldberg belongs to c2ndy2c1d

James "Rave" Cute belongs to Kirrakurry

* * *

Christine stood in the middle of the hallway with her fists clenched in her hair as Edd was whisked away to surgery. As his mother, she wasn't allowed anywhere near the OR and if any of her doctor friends had a say, she wouldn't be allowed in the gallery either. So now all she could do was stand around and wait. Edd had already been through _so much_ in the past year and now he had to get hit by a car and quite possibly the worst piece of information ever.

Kevin cheated and now there was a baby on the way.

Well, if what Naomi said were to actually be true, that is. But from the brief conversation that they had in her holding room and the sheer look of terror in her eyes, there wasn't a doubt left in Christine's mind that her words were nothing but the truth.

 _"Ma'am, can you tell me your name?"_

 _Christine looked into the woman's eyes as she moved aside a lock of damp ebony curls. "N-Naomi Thompson." she said and swallowed thickly as if her throat was bone dry.  
_

 _"Alright Naomi, it looks like the crash caused some internal bleeding, so we're going to take you into surgery. Okay?"_

 _Her brown eyes shot open wide and she tried to sit up, but Christine only pushed her back down onto the table. "Is the baby gonna be okay?! I-I can't have it yet, it's too early and the father doesn't even know...oh God-"_

 _Christine smoothed back Naomi's hair as they started to move out of the room. "We're going to try to keep that baby in you as long as possible, but if push comes to shove, we'll have to deliver."_

 _Naomi shook her head a little and tried not to cry as they rushed down the hallway to the right OR. "No, he doesn't know! I finally gathered up the fucking nerve to tell him and then I end up hitting these poor people- wait are they okay?!"_

 _"The boys are getting checked out right now. Does the father live around here? Maybe I can find him for you. Is there a number I where I can reach him?"_

 _Inhaling a shaky breath as another wave of pain washed over her, Naomi shook her head a little. "No, I haven't seen him in months. He could be dead for all I know!"_

 _"What's his name, Dear?"_

 _"K-Kevin Barr. We were in the same squadron in the army. H-he might still be deployed..."_

 _"Oh my God." Christine said as she slowly put a hand over her mouth from the shock and if it were possible, Naomi's eyes widened even more._

 _"What? Do you know him?!"_

 _"That's my son."_

...

Arvilla shook her head and pursed her lips as she looked down at the chest cavity before her. "I need more retraction. Davis, get over here."

One of the smaller interns shuffled over to the operating table and proceeded to pull the flap of muscle and skin back even farther. "Like this?"

Arvilla gave Davis a bloody "OK" sign with a hand and the intern couldn't help but giggle. "Perfect. Now, would anyone care to tell me just how exactly a flail chest occurs?"

Another intern named Leigh stepped forward with a tiny notepad clutched in her hands and cleared her throat. "Flail chest can occur when the rib cage experiences a decent amount of stress."

Willard, the head of Ortho, snorted from her spot next to Arvilla as she took a small break from drilling. "Decent amount my ass. This kind of pressure would have had to been _extreme_ for his ribs to break in six different places. What the hell happened out there..?"

 _"He got hit by a car going at least fifty five close to a residential zone. That's what happened."_

Arvilla's head snapped up to the gallery and glared at the one and only Nat Goldberg who just happened to be the head of Plastics. "You're not welcome here, Goldberg. No one needs a nose job, so be gone with you."

The teal haired doctor merely shrugged with a smirk on his face and hit the intercom again. _"Meh. You and your jugs love me. Aye yo Emily, we still on for coffee later?"_

Both Willard and Arvilla shot a look at the doctor in the gallery, then to the blushing intern with the notepad, and then finally to the glowering intern behind _her._ Rave had a _major_ thing for Goldberg ever since the first day of his internship. After a drunken one night stand six months ago with the Booty Enthusiast, they simply couldn't seem to shake each other. And now Goldberg had the nerve to take Leigh out for coffee just to spite him.

Arvilla shook her head a little as Nat shot a wink at all of them before sauntering out of the gallery. "I hope we never end up like that, Davis."

Davis turned a bright shade of red and nearly dropped the retractor. "Huwah?"

Willard let out a little laugh as she continued to wire the ribs together and Rave huffed as he turned to his closest friend in the group with a bored look upon his face. "Dev, there's too much."

"Hm?"

"Too much drama, not enough learning."

Dev checked her nails a little as she cocked a single eyebrow. "Says the one who's in the middle of it."

Rave huffed and crossed his arms. "I hate you."

"Love you too."

...

Hours passed and Christine still had yet to catch word of Edd's condition or even a glimpse of a certain redhead that she could just absolutely _strangle_ at the moment. She had run into Nazz earlier about three hours prior and the girl was in absolute shambles. Her girlfriend was livid and her best friend was MIA so when Christine told her to go home and rest up for the night (might as well say early morning as it was five in the morning at that point) she literally had to shove the girl into Marie's tense arms and order her to take Nazz home, promising to call if anything came up.

Eddy, on the other hand, was eager to get his beauty sleep. Having received a broken arm and a mild concussion from the bumper of Naomi's car, the shortest of the Eds was more than willing to pass out at the drop of a hat. And while she was glad that the boy was okay, all the _really_ wanted to was find Kevin. She _needed_ some sort of explanation as to why all this had happened.

But it wasn't until she walked past the PCM's chapel that she spotted that familiar mess of fiery red hair. Christine paused in the entryway for a few moments just to merely watch her adoptive son as he sat hunched over with his hands clasped together on the pew in front of him. Slowly, she made her way down the isle and moved to sit next to him. "I didn't know that you were religious."

Kevin didn't open his eyes when he spoke. "I'm not, really. I'm just calling on whatever faith that I've got left."

Christine cocked an eyebrow. "And what exactly are we hoping for here?"

"Some sort of redemption."

"I see."

It was quite for a little bit as the two simply sat there. Kevin prayed for redemption and while she had never been one for religion, Christine prayed for strength for her family. Strength for Edd to make it through the surgery alright, to use that big brain of his to make sense of the situation, and to _hopefully_ find forgiveness for his fiance's mistakes.

For Kevin, who needed to forgive _himself._ To move past the ailments of his life and to just simply do the right thing, whatever that may turn out to be.

And for David, who would need the strength of a hundred men to deal with the emotional storm that was Christine Anne Vincent when she would return home later that day.

"I didn't love her."

Christine snapped out of her thoughts and turned to look at Kevin, who was still hunched over in the seat with his eyes closed. "What?"

"I didn't love her; it wasn't an affair. I was just...so _fucking_ lonely and scared. And sometimes, when I was really missing Edd, Naomi would start to look like him. I dunno, maybe I'm delusional..."

"Kevin, Dear. That isn't a-"

The redhead cut her off by sitting up and rubbing his face roughly with his hands. "I know. It's a sad excuse for a _huge_ mistake that could have been avoided if I had some willpower back then. But I didn't. And now I'm loosing the love of my life over some woman I met in the army who just happens to be having my baby." Kevin's voice withered down to a broken whisper and he turned his watery eyes on Christine. "...And now I'm gonna be a dad, and I don't even know how to be a good husband. What am I gonna do..?"

Christine sat there for a moment with pursed lips and looked to the large crucifix before them. Even though Kevin's distraught sobs were quiet, they seemed to echo around the empty room and the way that Jesus's half lidded eyes glanced towards the floor spoke volumes into her soul.

She was a woman of medicine. Her life revolved around the facts of science but now she was having trouble believing that everything was in black and white. Before, events would just _happen_ and she'd be okay with it; there was no questioning, there was just acceptance and now? Now she was wondering if everything happened for a certain reason or another. The look in His eyes gave her a firm answer, however.

Closing her eyes, Christine pulled her adopted son close to her and hugged him tight. "You aren't a bad kid, Kevin. You grew up in a broken home, but you persevered. You made it through and found love and light and support- you even found a new family, albeit a little broken themselves, and you let us in. You're so _so_ full of love, Kevin. Things might seem like they'll never get better at the moment, but they will because if I know you _and I'm fairly certain that I do_ , you'll do the right thing. I'm sure of it."

Kevin just sobbed harder into his mother's shoulder throughout her small tangent as they held each other. Then, the sound of the doors clicking as they opened drew them apart so that they could see who the newcomer was.

Davis pulled off her scrub cap slowly as she watched the mother-son duo in their little moment together. "Dr. Vincent, they're out."

"What- both of them?" she asked as she pulled back a little. The intern nodded and ran a hand through her thick hair.

"All three of them."

...

Edd let out a pained groan as he sat up in his hospital bed. His ribs ached _terribly_ but it did nothing to deter the more serious thoughts that were bouncing around in his head.

 _What the hell was happening?_

Removing the oxygen tube from his nose, Edd gently set it to the side as he began to remove the other tubes and wires from his body. He didn't have time to waste lying around, he had things to do, or rather, people to see. Edd needed to see if Eddy was okay, to see if Kevin had made it in, and...he wanted to see Naomi.

"Leave those alone! You know better."

Edd's head twitched as he looked from the tubes, to the hand that had smacked his own away, and up to the face that belonged to the voice that was scolding him.

Christine Vincent stood tall with her arms crossed across her chest and a _very_ tired David sat slumped over in one of the visitor chairs in the corner. She took a seat on the edge of the bed and tenderly placed the oxygen line back on his face, tucking a small lock of inky hair behind Edd's ear along with the tube. "How're you feeling?"

"I'm fine. A little sore, but fine. How is...everyone else? Can I have my pants?"

Christine sighed a little as she grabbed his _filthy_ pants out of the plastic baggy on a nearby chair and handed them to him. "Fine, everyone's out of the woods for now."

"Everyone?" Edd asked as he leaned back in the bed and slid his jeans over his slender legs from underneath the covers.

"Yes. Eddy, Naomi, Kevin...the baby."

"Is it...?"

Christine nodded while she chewed on her bottom lip a little. "If anything, the red hair on that little girl proves it."

Edd covered his mouth with one hand while his mother worked on detaching an IV from his arm. "I-it's a girl..?" he asked, only receiving another nod as confirmation.

"Born at four thirty-five this morning and weighing a whopping two pounds. She's beautiful."

A few tears slipped past Edd's bright blue eyes as he absorbed the news, but he was quick to wipe them away. Obvious concern washed over Christine's face and she placed a hand on Edd's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Edd nodded quickly and took a deep breath. "Yeah, what about Kevin? Does he know..?"

"He's sitting with her now. Has been for the past hour and a half. Kevin's...very enamored with her. Did you want to go see him?"

A little pang of hurt and guilt sparked in Edd's chest and he shook his head. "N-no. I wouldn't want to sully the moment, but...I would like to go see someone else."

"Who?"

"Naomi."


	64. Going Home

Author's Note:

 _Ever the Same_ by Rob Thomas

 _Bitter Song_ by Butterfly Boucher

* * *

Edd adjusted his hat a little as he stood outside of Naomi's room. His fist had been raised to knock for the past fifteen minutes, but he simply couldn't muster up the strength to go in and face the woman that had thrown a seemingly permanent wrench into his life. What if she was horrible? _Or worse._ What if she was a completely pleasant human being? Would she fight for Kevin's affections? Or would Naomi admit that she made a mistake by taking something that wasn't hers to begin with? Edd had no idea, but he _did_ know that the air needed to be cleared if any progress was to be made.

With his fist only mere inches away from the solid wooden door, Edd's thoughts began to drift away again. Kevin had been spending the past couple hours with his new baby girl; what would he want to do? A twinge of guilt washed over Edd as he wondered why his fiance wasn't with _him._ He had been smeared across the pavement, his ribs were now wired back together in six different places, and had to tote around a portable oxygen tank as one of his lungs took a serious beating from the floating fragments of bone in his chest courtesy of Naomi Thompson's front bumper.

And Kevin had yet to see if he was okay to his knowledge.

Perhaps the redhead _had_ come by to check on him after the surgery, but Edd wasn't so sure about it. It's not like he could blame the man for not dropping everything to come cry at his bedside. Kevin had a daughter now and she was a preemie at that. He had other, much more important priorities now and Edd was _very slowly_ beginning to realize that and it made his already hurting chest _ache._

Sucking in a deep breath, the raven knocked on the door until he heard a small voice granting him permission to enter. Inside the room resided a tired looking woman. Her once flawless dark complexion was now riddled with cuts and bruises but it did nothing to deter her beauty. Naomi's ebony curls sat stacked on top of her head and she offered a smile as Edd shuffled into the room with his little oxygen tank following close behind him. Like hell was he going to spend anymore of his time lying in a hospital bed, he had better things to do. Like talk to his fiance's Baby Mama.

"I was wondering when I'd get to see you again." she croaked when Edd finally took a seat next to her bedside. He adjusted the tubes absently just to have something to do besides actually _look_ at her. "I wanted to thank you, for saving both mine and my baby's lives."

Edd fought the urge to scoff but settled on a little twisted smile instead. The guilt in his gut intensified as Naomi was slowly started to prove herself to be a genuinely pleasant person. "It's...It's quite alright. You don't need to thank me, it's my job."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yes, I'm an EMT. I suppose you were very fortunate to hit someone like me last night." Edd mused, his mother's words were starting to come back to haunt him; 'everything happens for a reason' echoed throughout his head loudly.

"Wow, I didn't know that they would hire on so young. That's definitely an accomplishment."

Edd grimaced a little. _"Fuck. Why the fuck is she being so nice to me?!"_ he thought angrily. Naomi must not have seen the troubled look on his face because she pressed on anyways.

"I'm...I'm so sorry for what happened last night. I-I was hysterical and I was going to tell the father because the guilt was eating me alive and-"

Edd silenced her with a hand. "It's alright, because now I actually get to place a face to the name."

Naomi's brows knotted in confusion at the raven's words and a hand scratched absently at her flat stomach. "What?" she asked and Edd merely stuck out a hand for her to shake with a small smile.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced yet. I'm Eddward Vincent."

Realization slowly dawned over the woman's features in such a way that Edd briefly wondered if he had told her that he once killed a puppy under his boot rather than his name. "W-Who?" she asked rather dumbly.

Lowering his hand back down to his lap, Edd's mouth pulled back up into a half smile. "I'm Kevin's fiance."

...

Even after hours of sitting in that chair, Kevin couldn't get his hand to stop shaking as he placed it on the side of the incubator. She was just so fucking tiny and it scared him to death. The thin red skin was even more wrinkled by all the tape that held multiple wires and IVs to her body and the over sized pink hat shielded her eyes from the light. But underneath it were the prettiest strawberry blonde curls that Kevin had ever seen and when he saw that, reality hit him like a Mac truck.

He was a father now.

The door to the room slid open with a _whoosh_ sound, but Kevin couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from the tiny little girl before him. There was the sound of hushed voices and a familiar perfume was quick to fill the air. Kevin barely flinched when a small hand laid itself on his shoulder. "Hey, Ma."

Christine smiled and placed a small peck on the crown of his head. "How're you holding up?"

Kevin just shrugged and poked his hand inside the incubator to place a finger on the baby's open palm. "She still doesn't have a name yet. She's been alive for hours and no ones given her a name. How does _that_ work?"

Christine pursed her lips and sat next to her son on one of the nearby stools. "Perhaps you should go and see Naomi about that."

"Don't bother. That girl never bothered to think of one herself."

The mother-son duo gave a quick look to each other before turning their heads towards the door to face the newcomer. It was a short, stout older woman who was dressed to the nines in her Sunday church clothes. Her graying twists were piled high on top of her head in some sort of bun. Sensing the confusion in the air, the woman coughed a little and stepped forward; her vintage looking brown saddle pumps resounded throughout the room as she walked. "I'm Ramona Thompson, Naomi's mother. You must be Kevin, it's nice to finally meet you."

Kevin stood up from the chair and suddenly felt very silly from the pink scrubs that he was wearing. But regardless, he stuck out his hand and offered a small smile. "It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Thompson. I just wish it wasn't like...this."

The older woman nodded in understanding and turned her attention to Christine who was standing dutifully beside her son. "And, you're Mrs. Barr then. Right?"

Christine put a hand on Kevin's shoulder and smiled. "Ms. Vincent, actually. But yes, I'm Kevin's mother."

After a few moments of curt introductions, the trio soon melted into casual conversation involving the woman of the hour: Naomi. And as it turned out, there was a whole slew of information about the woman that Kevin had no idea about and the more that they talked, it made him realize that he really didn't know her as well as he thought he did.

"She was engaged once, but her fiance ran out on her a week before their wedding. He said he just, couldn't do it anymore. That he'd fallen in love with someone else." Ramona said, her eyes held some sort of emotion that neither Kevin nor Christine couldn't quite put their finger on. After a second or two however, the woman snapped out of her daze and cleared her throat as she continued. "But, I suppose that just made her even more lonely. Her daddy died a few years back. They were very close, but Harry and his cigarettes were closer, I suppose." Ramona sighed. "My daughter isn't a terrible person for what she did. Naomi's just lonely and a little misguided from all the heartbreak. And don't get me wrong, what she did was horrible and I don't agree with it in the least, it's just...I can tell she's miserable from what she's done."

Kevin shook his head. "It's not entirely her fault, it's mine too. I'm the one who let it happen."

"Have you talked to her yet?" Christine asked, simultaneously earning a questioning look from Ramona. Kevin just lowered his gaze to the floor and shook his head again.

"No, I haven't. I wouldn't even know what to say."

Ramona put a hand on Kevin's knee. "I'm sure the words will come to you eventually, Dear."

...

Edd and Naomi sat in awkward silence after the raven had silenced her after apologizing for the _hundredth_ time that hour. It had caught him off guard, how she had started off apologizing so utterly profusely that the ache in his chest seemed minuscule compared to his raging migraine now. She had begun to ramble on and on about how and why things had turned out the way they did; Edd just sat there trying to come up with a single coherent thought. Clearly, this was not how he pictured things going between them.

Naomi wasn't a whore, she was just a little misguided and lonely. Her and Kevin both were and Edd tried to piece together the facts in his brain to come up with a good reason for all this.

The two spent _months_ together being each other's sole confidants; they had a better understanding of one another than anyone else could've had- not even Jackson nor Don.

So they became close.

"It just started out as an innocent crush in the beginning. I liked Kevin, but Kevin was engaged. And it stayed that way for _months_ , but I guess somewhere in there...that line between friendship and whatever we had became blurry." Naomi explained, nervously rubbing her hands together much like Edd did when he was worried about something. "And he was always so sad whenever you would come up in a conversation, or if someone did something that reminded him of you...so I would come around and we would talk for _hours_ about anything and everything that would make the heartache a little easier on us."

Edd's eyebrows furrowed. "Us?" he asked.

Naomi nodded and continued to fiddle with her hands. "Erm-yes, us. For Kevin it was being away from you for so long without much communication, but for me...it was being beside someone I loved everyday, falling even harder for them with every smile, laugh, _anything_ that they did and...listening to them talk about how much they loved someone else."

Edd's eyes widened and he struggled to pick his jaw up off the floor. "You... _loved_ him?"

The woman nodded and glanced away. "Yeah, I did. But Kevin didn't feel the same. After we...you know...I confessed to him, but all he kept saying was that he loved _you._ It was always about you. Everything that happened between us meant nothing, because Kevin's heart was here the entire time, with you." Naomi said and then took a rather shaky breath to steady herself. "He ran off after that because of the letter he got, and the next thing that I knew, Kevin was on the next flight back to Peach Creek and soon I was throwing up every morning in the showers. Everything just happened so fast..."

"Oh..." was all Edd could manage to say at that point. The explanation had just seemed so incredibly _honest._ There was no disdain towards him, nor was there any indication that she was looking to save any shred of relationship that was left between her and Kevin. Naomi was sorry, and apparently had spent the last seven months beating herself up over it.

A small sob ripped him away from his thoughts and cerulean eyes fell upon Naomi's shaking figure. "I know you're probably tired of hearing it by now, but I'm so incredibly sorry, Eddward. I truly am, about everything. Like, last night I finally gathered up the fucking nerve to go tell him about the baby and I was so hysterical that I-" the end of Naomi's sentence was drowned out by her muffled sobs as the guilt wracked through her beaten body.

Edd scooted over to sit on the edge of the bed and grabbed both of her hands in his own, forcing the woman to look up at him. "It's alright."

"N-no, it's not-!"

Shushing her, he pulled the sobbing woman into a gentle hug in hopes of calming her but in all reality, it only made Naomi cry harder. She had fucked his fiance while he was dying, turned up pregnant, and hit him with her car (albeit accidentally) was literally holding her together while whispering words of comfort and forgiveness in her ear. "It's alright." Edd tried again. "It's just...it's nice to know the entire story. Kevin and I fought for hours about it after he confessed to me last night and if it's any consolation, he defended you fiercely."

Naomi looked up at Edd through bloodshot eyes. "H-he did..?"

Edd nodded and pulled away from her a little. "Indeed...and he's been spending the last couple hours with your daughter. According to my mother, he's completely enamored with her. It's quite an amazing thing, how everything pulled together like it did. Kevin finally got the family he wanted, my mother finally became a grandmother, and you'll be able to repair the relationship that's been eating away at you for the better part of a year."

"But...what about you?" Naomi asked with her hand squeezing his own. Edd's voice had lacked it's certain confident charm towards the end of his little explanation and it worried her.

Edd's eyes flickered down to the thin blanket on her bed and quickly flicked some moisture off his cheek. "Kevin...I know him better than anyone else on this planet. He's kind and caring and so _so_ sweet. So I know that without a doubt, he'll do the right thing."

Naomi furrowed her eyebrows. "What's he gonna do?"

Edd merely shrugged, but the hurt was evident in his clouded blue eyes. "Whatever he believes is best for his family."

...

After departing with Naomi on bittersweet terms, Edd walked back to his own room in silence. The only sounds he could hear was the small squeak of his oxygen tank's wheels as it rolled along behind him, the padding of his sneakers on the floor, and the excited chatter of the new parents in the nursery.

He didn't bother looking over at the newborns because he felt that it would cause him too much pain. The most precious gift that anyone could give was also taking _his_ greatest gift away. And just as he was about to start thinking on some other rather concerning topics at hand, a familiar baritone voice caught his attention.

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw a certain redhead chatting with none other than his mother of all people and an older black woman. There was a smile on his face that Edd hadn't seen in _months._ It was one where the light really touched the green in his eyes and the endearing laugh lines on his face made him seem practically radiant.

Edd just shook his head and continued on back to his room. He really needed some rest.

...

After retreating back to his room, Edd proceeded to sleep the day away after requesting some more painkillers for his metal laced chest. The nasal cannula had been removed from the portable oxygen tank and hooked back up to its stationary position beside the bed. So between the extra help that his bruised lung needed, the pain killers, and the simple fact that he was _exhausted_ , Edd had zero problems passing out in the afternoon and waking up around twelve hours later in the dead of night. Wincing a little as he sat up, the raven made a personal note to ask for more pain killers next time he saw a nurse or an intern.

"Oh, you're finally awake."

Edd jumped a little as he saw an exhausted looking Kevin curled up in one of the visitor's chairs in the corner. Gone was his radiance from earlier, now the man looked like he hadn't slept in days. His face was also red and puffy as if he had just got done crying. "Kevin, what're you doing here?"

The redhead slid his bleary gaze over to Edd and sat up a little in his chair. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I just thought...I don't know." Edd said and proceeded to lay back down in the bed, his ribs were killing him at the moment.

Kevin seemed to pick up on what his fiance was trying to say and look towards the door of the room. "Ma said that I had been there all day and that there was no shame in sleeping somewhere else besides the NICU...she's beautiful, y'know? The baby."

A sad smile pulled at the corners of Edd's mouth. "I don't doubt...did you talk to Naomi?"

Kevin hummed. "I did. We sat and talked for a few hours."

"She's really nice, huh?"

"You _talked_ to her?!"

Edd nodded and curled in on himself a little. "I went to see her earlier today to clear the air and...she's actually quite lovely. Very apologetic, but lovely."

Kevin sighed a little and ran a hand through his hair. He was about to open his mouth to speak before Edd spoke again. "You should stay with her, Kev."

 _Edd called him "Kev."_

"W-what did you just say..?"

The raven rolled over so that his back was facing Kevin and took a few deep slow breaths to calm himself. "Remember what I said yesterday as I was walking out? I'm anything but selfish and...I know that this is what you've always wanted. A family, that is, and you've got it. You've _finally_ got it."

Kevin paled a little and stood up from his chair. "Edd, stop..."

But the man pressed on anyways. "You and I both know how important it is to have a _whole_ family." he said and barely flinched when he felt the weight shift on the bed and a pair of strong arms wrap themselves gently around his midsection from behind. Kevin buried his face into the crook of Edd's neck. _"Please don't let that baby have a broken family."_ Edd sobbed a little. Partly from imagining Kevin's child living either of theirs, but also from the notion that he was letting Kevin go. Or well, tying to anyways. The redhead was still latched onto him for dear life and showed zero signs of letting go anytime soon.

Edd continued to whimper the word "please" over and over again as if it had become some sort of mantra. He felt Kevin shake his head a little into Edd's shoulder and nudged him a little.

"Edd, baby, look at me. _Please._ " Kevin almost begged and after a moment or two, Edd complied. Rolling over in the bed, careful of the oxygen tubes, he looked into the saddest pair of green eyes and his heart broke all over again. "I'm not leaving you, never. I love you too much to let you go."

"B-but...is it the right thing to do? Despite everything..?"

Kevin just shook his head again, he couldn't help but hate how his bottom lip quivered. "Despite everything. Despite how much of an ass I've been to you, despite all the complications, I still love you with everything I've got and I hope you still feel the same because I am so goddamn sorry right now. Things should've never gone that far."

Edd felt a few stray tears roll down his face and avoided looking Kevin in the eye for a moment. "I do. I still love you, Kevin."

The redhead nodded with a small sob. "T-that's good because I'm gonna need you. I know that I've been needing you way too much lately but...Ang is gonna need both her dads to back her up now, Edd. I can't do this without you. I know it's a lot to ask but..."

"What about Naomi?"

Kevin paled a little bit at the mention of her name and swallowed a thick lump in his throat. "I-uh, the doctors told me that clot had formed on her stitches...there was nothing that they could've done."

"Kevin, no..."

The man just nodded with a large frown. "She died about an hour ago."

Edd couldn't help but sob for the woman that had gone to war, had her baby early because of a car crash that seemed like it was _entirely_ his fault at the moment, and then died of a blood clot that had floated up to her brain in her sleep after defying all the odds.

"I guess Angie was the one good thing that came out of this." Kevin mused as Edd calmed himself down after while. He had had his good hard cry long ago, Naomi's death had made him a little numb to the situation.

"Angie..?"

Kevin just nodded. "Angela Aisling Barr."

Edd sniffled. "That's beautiful, Kevin."

...

 _"You're home, Ang. You're home." Sy breathed as she waited for her newest guest. It seemed like only moments ago when the love of her afterlife let go of her hand and walked through the clouds without a second glance. But that was alright, because if Ang had looked back, she would have never left._

 _The blond stood among the rolling golden clouds with her arms folded respectfully behind her back. The hood of her sweatshirt was flipped down to reveal the shaggy, unkempt locks and twisted half smile that rested upon her pale face. Slowly, a figure began to emerge from the distance with a hand over her eyes to shield them from the bright, artificial sun._

 _"Where am I?" the woman asked as she neared the blonde. "Are you okay? You're crying..."_

 _Sy shook her head a little and beckoned her forth with a hand. A sad smile graced her features as the two began to walk off into the blinding light. "No, I'm quite alright, Naomi."_

 _"How do you know my name?" she asked._

 _Sy chuckled and placed a guiding hand on Naomi's back._

 _"I know everyone, but you can call me Sy. Welcome Home."_


	65. The Tale

"God, they're too cute."

"Indeed." Christine agreed as she and David leaned casually on either side of the door and watched the two boys snooze peacefully together in Edd's small hospital bed. Their legs were intertwined in such a way that the mother had a hard time deciphering who's was who's. Kevin's arms were wrapped around Edd's shoulders loosely and Edd had one hand resting on the redhead's hip while the other one was splayed dead center on the other's face; he was probably trying to muffle the loud snores that came from Kevin.

"Maybe one day we'll get that cute." David asked with a chuckle, cocking an eyebrow at his girlfriend. Christine let out a little scoff and pushed off the door frame.

"I don't know...my boys have been through _a lot_ together, that's why they're so adorable. We'd have to fight off a hurricane with a foam bat to get to their level."

David's eyebrows shot up and he let out a low whistle as they moseyed back out into the hallway. "A lot, huh? We've been dating for what, seven months and this is the first I hear of it? I simply _must_ hear of this drama."

Christine snorted a little and crossed her arms. "Where do I even begin?"

"At the beginning would be nice. Good morning, Ms. Vincent." Ramona Thompson said as she walked up to the duo in much more casual clothing that morning. The death of her daughter weighed heavily on her mind, but she had to try to persevere in order to put her family in the right direction again.

"Oh, hello Ramona. You can call me Christine if you want. How're you doing?" the concerned mother asked as she placed a hand on the other woman's shoulder as a sign of support.

Ramona offered the woman a tired smile. "I'm still kicking, so I suppose that's good. But where's Kevin? I did want to ask him a few things and he's not in the NICU."

"The boys are in there." David said with a small smirk as he pointed into Edd's room. Ramona stepped over and gasped at what she saw.

"Does he usually do that?"

"Do what?" Christine asked.

Ramona motioned to the bed with wide eyes. "Jump into bed with other people already in it..?" she asked and both David and Christine started to laugh quietly. "What?"

Christine wiped a stay tear from her eye and shook her head. "Kevin's in there with Edd, it's okay."

"Edd? As in...Eddward? Another man?"

All the laughter seemed to flee from the hall where the trio stood. "That's right." David said.

"N-Naomi told me he was engaged?" Ramona asked.

"To Edd."

"But I thought he was-"

Just then the door to the hospital room slid open fast enough for the curtains on the other side to ripple from the breeze and a bleary eyed Kevin hobbled into the hall with the other adults. "I'm bisexual, Ms. Thompson, and good morning to you too."

Ramona merely stood there for a moment before she snapped out of her daze. "Oh!" she said and waved her hands in defense at the redhead before her. "I know what you must be thinking and trust me when I say that's not it."

Kevin chuckled a little. "It's alright, really. No big deal."

"It's just, Naomi _did_ tell me that you were engaged, she just never said who you were engaged _to_." Ramona explained. "Plus, when I saw you and then your fiance was nowhere to be found...I- oh goodness, I'm rambling..." she said as she hid her face in her hands out of embarrassment.

Everyone besides Ramona started to laugh at her words. "You sound just like Edd. He always rambles when he's nervous."

...

Later, Kevin, Christine, David, and Ramona all decided to grab some breakfast in the hospital cafeteria. Edd was still sleeping off the last round of pain killers so Kevin knew he had some time before the genius would wake up.

"So," David said as he stabbed piece of pancake with his fork. "let's hear about this drama."

Christine just shrugged and stirred her oatmeal absently. "Your's and Edd's roller coaster relationship of drama."

"It's not drama...it's just _a lot_ of unfortunate events..." Kevin pouted as he slumped down into his chair. Ramona cocked an eyebrow and turned her attention back to Christine.

The conversation started out with the Jarad Forb incident and Kevin basically telling Christine that he hated her, to the stand off with Kevin's father, the the subtle relapse, the army, Edd _dying_ and coming back to life, the bomb that took Kevin's leg, and ultimately the drama bomb that changed all of their lives forever. _Angela Aisling Barr._

Throughout the whole tale of the drama filled relationship, Ramona couldn't help but be completely amazed at the young couple that had been though so much and still be together.

"So he really beat brain cancer?! That-that's incredible!"

"It truly is."

Everybody at the small table looked up to find a nicely dressed, slightly winded Edd standing behind Ramona with his hands held behind his back. Ramona practically choked on her slice of bacon and turned around to look up that the man that they had just been gushing about.

"You must be Naomi's mother." Edd said as he flashed his famous gap toothed smile and stuck out his hand. "I'm Eddward. It's nice to meet you."

"Please, call me Ramona. Would you like to sit?" the woman said as she gently shook his hand.

Edd shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't. I have to go down to the ER and talk to my supervisor about some paid time off."

"Oh, you work here in the hospital?"

"He's an EMT." Christine said, popping into the conversation casually.

"The best damned one." Kevin said with a wink towards the raven. A deep blush covered his face and Edd walked over to Kevin who instinctively tilted his head back to catch the other's lip in a sweet kiss. "Where's your cannula?"

Edd shrugged. "Meh. I'm good without it. I'll catch up with you all later, alright? Ramona, it was a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Ramona said as she stared after the young man who was now walking out of the cafeteria with his hands in his jean pockets. Turning back to the other people at the table, she gave a sudden nod. "I like him."

...

About four days later, Edd let out a weary sigh as he helped Kevin with his tie. It was the day of Naomi's funeral.

"When did you ever get so tall?" Edd mumbled as he continued to adjust the tie against Kevin's hard chest. The corner of the redhead's mouth pulled up into a smirk as he stared down at the top of Edd's head.

"I'm not that tall." Kevin said as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

Edd stepped away from the man and observed his handiwork. "You're six-foot-five, Kev. A _literal_ twelve inches taller than me."

Kevin sighed a little and walked over to the raven to place a gentle kiss on his lips. "Are you sure you don't wanna come?" he asked and Edd nodded.

"I'm sure. I don't think I'd be very welcome there anyways."

"And I am?" Kevin scoffed. "Probably not, but it's the right thing to do."

Edd nodded again and walked over to the incubator when Ang lay, the redhead watched his fiance's face carefully. "Are you gonna be okay staying with her while me and Ma are gone?"

This time it was Edd's turn to scoff as he craned his head to look at the towering man behind him. "Of course, I am her...father...after all."

Kevin put a supportive hand on Edd's back and looked into the incubator with him. "Yeah, you are...I love you Edd."

"I love you too, Kevin."


	66. Fathers and Uncles

After Kevin and Christine had left for the funeral, it was horribly quiet in the NICU save for the beeping of various machines. Edd sat in a rocking chair next to Ang's incubator with a book, but after trying to read the same paragraph for the past fifteen minutes, he gave up and closed the book with a sigh. He couldn't possibly focus on a book while all these thoughts of impending fatherhood plagued his mind.

True, Kevin had asked him to be dad with him, but there was _so much more_ to do than that. Sure, he would act as Ang's father but he technically wouldn't be her legal guardian until Kevin and himself were married. But Edd felt like it wouldn't be that simple. The Thompson family wouldn't just give up a baby? _Would they?_

Thoughts swirled around in Edd's mind so much to the point where he felt a little dizzy but he pushed the feeling away. Setting the book on the floor, the EMT scooted a little closer to the incubator and very timidly, pressed a finger to the glass. It was incredible...this tiny human being that had somehow made it into this world despite all the odds. And despite being a product of his fiance's unfaithfulness, Edd couldn't help but fall in love with the tiny human. She was perfect.

The raven jumped a little when he heard the door to the room slide open to reveal a man around the same age as himself slowly step into the room. He was dressed in a black dress shirt and slacks, looking as if he had just gotten back from a...a funeral.

"Uh, hey." the man said as he moseyed over to Edd and Ang with his hands stuffed deep in his pockets.

"Hello." Edd said with a slight smile. The other wandered around to the end of the incubator where the sheet with Ang's information was.

His eyebrows furrowed a little as he read. "Barr...I figured she'd want the baby to have _her_ last name."

Edd's eyes snapped up to the other man in the room. "Are you a relative of Naomi's?"

He nodded with a solemn expression. "Yeah...I'm her brother Alec, and you are?"

"I'm Eddward, Kevin's fiance." Edd said, standing up out of the chair to offer the man a handshake and Alec was quick to accept it.

"That's the guy that knocked up my sister, right?"

Edd paused. "Er...yes."

Alec made a puzzled face. "And you're still here? Why? I'd be pissed if my girlfriend did that to me."

"I was, believe me." Edd said with a shrug as they both proceeded to stare at Ang. "We fought for _hours_ and I ended up walking out. But then there was the accident and I found out about the baby...I was fully prepared to leave Kevin for the sake of his family. I still loved him but I know better than anyone that family should _always_ come first."

"And then she died." Alec finished with a huff. Edd's face twisted up into a look of distress at the increasing awkwardness of the situation.

"Why aren't you at the funeral?" the raven asked with genuine curiosity and Alec just shrugged.

"I'd rather spend the day of my sister's funeral celebrating life rather than mourning her death."

Edd nodded. "That's very insightful. I'm sure she would've liked that."

Alec raised an eyebrow. "You met her?"

"Once. A couple hours after the accident I went to talk to her to clear the air." Edd said and looked over at Alec with wide, sad eyes. "If things hadn't ended like they did, I'm almost positive that we would've been friends. Naomi was absolutely lovely."

"You're...you're somethin' else, kid. No wonder my Ma likes you so much."

Edd smiled a little. "Ramona likes me? That's amazing."

Alec chuckled. "She does! She said you were really polite and even took some time off for the baby. Did you really beat brain cancer?"

"I did. I fought for...fourteen years. I was finally dubbed cancer free in January."

Alec let out a low whistle and shoved his hands back into his pockets. "Damn. You fought brain cancer for _fourteen years_ just to be sitting her with your cheating ass fiance's baby. You're like, a saint or somethin'."

"No, just ridiculously faithful."

The two continued to talk for the next few hours, melting into an almost casual conversation. Naomi's brother was fresh out of high school and practically itching to get out of the state. He planned on flying out of South Carolina and over to Caltech in California to work as an intern and this truly put a sparkle in Edd's eye. They were both happy to have someone to gush over the power of physics with. Alec was also shocked that Edd was only a year older than himself; he had suspected that the EMT was in his mid-twenties by the way that he carried himself.

"So you're nineteen, you sure that you can handle being a dad?" Alec asked as he leaned back in his own chair with a stern gaze, although Edd could tell that there was a hint of playfulness behind his glare.

"Absolutely." Edd said confidently. "But I'm not sure that everyone would be okay with Naomi's one night stand and some stranger raising Ang...I assumed there would be some sort of custody battle?"

Alec shook his head. "I uh, I didn't come here just to see Angie. Some relatives sent me here to scope you out because believe me, we _do_ want to take her in, it's just...that's not what Naomi wanted. She wanted you."

 _"Me?!"_ Edd asked incredulously. Alec merely nodded and handed him a crumpled up piece of paper.

"Look."

Edd hesitantly took the paper from Alec's hand and unfolded it on his lap. It was a hastily written letter.

 _To whom it may concern (Momma, Grannie Ella, Alec, Uncle Robby)_

 _Seven months ago, I became pregnant with someone's baby. He was kind and handsome, but he was also hurting and I took advantage of that. I took advantage of Kevin Barr and his fiance back home and I don't think that I'll ever really be able to forgive myself for it._

 _So for seven long months, I've been thinking my choices over._

 _I don't know anything. I never went to college, I was mediocre at best in high school, and I've never had a real job. The army is all I know and the fact that if this child were to stay with me, I wouldn't be doing her any justice. But I will use my one piece of knowledge that I learned tonight and be a good mother by letting my baby be with people that will love and cherish her the way she deserves to be._

 _Eddward Vincent is Kevin's fiance, he came to visit me earlier. He was willing to give up the love of his life just so that Angela could have a whole family. This man. This is who I want Angela to be raised by. He and Kevin, they're truly such a wonderful pair of caring people. You may not know them like I do, but trust me. These guys are the real deal._

 _Take the time to talk with them, let them show you just how absolutely wonderful they are._

 _Take the time to meet Angela's new parents. She deserves that, if anything._

 _Signed,_

 _Naomi Katelyn Thompson_

By the end of the letter, Edd was a sobbing mess and Alec was patting his back to try to comfort him. "Oh my God..." he drawled as he covered his face with one hand and held the paper with the other.

"I wasn't lying when I said that, you know." Alec said as he sat back down in his own chair. Edd took a second to wipe away the embarrassing tears and nod.

"I know." he breathed. "It's just...I _wanted_ this to happen, so bad. I kept keeping myself at bay because some part of me thought that Ang wouldn't be able to stay with Kevin or I but... _God._ I'm just so relieved!"

Alec chuckled a little and took the paper back. "Well, I still have to talk to Kevin but you've definitely got my vote, Edd. You're gonna be a great dad."

Edd let out a happy sob and proceeded to wipe more tears away. "And you're gonna be a fantastic uncle, Alec. I can promise that."

Suddenly, a mixed look of surprise and realization dawned on the man and he paused. "...You think so?" he asked in a small voice. Edd could sense the hope in his tone and gave Alec one of his famous gap toothed grins.

"I know so."


	67. Little Wonders

"Thanks for inviting me in, Christine."

Christine waved Alec off as they walked through the threshold of the soon to be Vincent-Barr home. "Oh shush. You've been here how many times? Even Kevin's told you to just walk in when you come to visit. Did you want anything to drink?" she asked as she popped open the fridge and grabbed a water for herself. Alec chuckled a little and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"A water please."

It had been a few weeks since Angela's grand entrance and both families were slowly coming together. Ramona, Alec, and even Grannie Ella (of whom had actually smacked Kevin in the face with her purse at her granddaughter's funeral) were some of the few that actually reached out and made a conscious effort to be civil to the father's side of the family.

Alec had come by the house more often than the others for the simple fact that he _genuinely liked_ the patchwork family. Christine was always warm and welcoming to him and anyone else that came with him, and Kevin a little shy around him (Alec guessed it must have been the fact that he had slept with his dead sister) but they did take the chance to get to know each other one day when he had no one else to go stroller shopping with.

 _"So why'd you ask me out of all people? I figured you'd wanna bring your Ma or Edd." Alec asked as he inspected a rather gaudy stroller that was littered with sippy cup holders and the worst pattern you could imagine. Kevin shifted his weight off of his prosthetic and shrugged a little._

 _"Ma's working with Ang right now and Edd's sleeping...plus I figured that we should at least try to get to know each other."_

 _Alec raised an eyebrow. "He's sleeping? It's like, four in the afternoon."_

 _Kevin just shrugged again and crossed his arms. "He's been pulling doubles lately. Between the nursery, clothes, formula...he's just trying to make sure we've got enough cash to start Ang off right."_

 _Alec let out a low whistle. "Damn, respect! Wish my dad was like that. All he did was tell us some crap stories about mixed up mail and ask us to light his cigars for him."_

 _"What? Whenever Naomi talked about him, he sounded like a real stand up guy." Kevin said and Alec shook his head a little._

 _"Well she was older, so maybe there was a version of him that I don't know, y'know? She talked about him to you though?"_

 _Kevin nodded as he looked at a car seat. "Yeah, we talked about all sorts of things. Believe it or not, we were best friends at one point. We told each other everything."_

 _"Hmph. I always thought that you two were just...fuck-buddies." Alec shivered a little at the thought of his sister having sex with someone._

 _"Uh, no...it wasn't like that. What about this one?" the redhead asked, but practically wheezed when he saw the price on the leopard print car seat. "Jesus, child safety is expensive."_

 _Alec snorted and put a hand on Kevin's shoulder. "Safety is key, my friend. I don't know if it's true or not, but I heard that babies are kind of delicate. Especially the new ones."_

 _Quizzical green met serious brown and both men started to giggle._

 _"Car seat with airbags it is then."_

 _..._

Alec snapped out of his thoughts and almost squeezed the cap right off his water bottle when a loud _thunk_ echoed from the back of the house. "What was that?"

 _"Kevin!"_ Edd shouted, it's true volume muffled by the walls.

Christine shrugged nonchalantly as she filled up a kettle and set it on the stove. "Kevin probably threw his leg again."

Alec's eyes went wide and he brushed a long dread out of his face. "He does that?!" he asked and the mother just nodded as she leaned against the counter.

"At first I think he did it as a joke because he thought it was funny but I suspect that now it's a habit. Kevin does tend to throw his leg around when he's really frustrated."

Alec was about to reply to the raven haired woman but another round of loud voices filtered their way into the kitchen from the hall. "...Or maybe he didn't. I think I'm going to investigate. Care to join me?" Christine asked with a sly smile as she pushed herself off of the counter and made her way towards the suspicious noises.

And as Christine and Alec grew closer to the Kevin and Edd's bedroom, their sense of suspicion shifted into horror at the noises that they were hearing.

A huff. A groan.

 _"This is really heavy-why is this so heavy?!"_

 _"Stop complaining and just take it like a man."_

 _"Ugh, no. You're doing it wrong. Twist it more."_

 _"I can't, It doesn't fit!"_

Christine backed away from the door with a hand over her mouth and turned to look at a _very_ red faced Alec with wide eyes. "I...uh..."

Alec stifled a laugh by biting one of his knuckles and turned away a little.

 _"Oh my God, I'm slipping. I'm slipping!"_

 _"Do. Not. Edd...Edd don't do it!"_

Another loud crash resounded into the hallway and Christine threw her arms up in the air. Alec couldn't help the bark of a laugh that bubbled up out of his throat and he just shook his head with a giant, embarrassed smile. "You should probably go see if they're okay."

 _"Oh God, my ass..."_

"That's it!" Christine yelled as she pushed pass Alec to barge into the bedroom with a hand over her eyes. "EDDWARD MARION VINCENT! We have a guest for Christ's sake!"

A sigh. "Excellent timing, mother."

Alec sucked in a breath and snuck a peek into the room; his apprehension was quickly replaced with a look of sheer joy and a bout of obnoxious laughter and when Christine uncovered her eyes in confusion, she too doubled over in hysterics.

Edd was sitting on the floor close to the door with a distraught look on his face and his inky locks were absolutely _wild._ Kevin on the other hand, was lying spread eagle on the floor across from his fiance with a partly assembled crib pinning him to the ground and a sour look on his face. "He dropped it."

Alec wiped away a stray tear from his cheek as his laughter died out. "Oh, this is awesome."

Edd blew a lock of hair out of his face and got up off the ground to look at the scene before him while Alec was awestruck at what _else_ he saw. In the entire month that they've known each other, the Caltech intern had never seen the raven without his trademark beanie and now he knew _why._ The scar that weaved itself through Edd's jet black locks was impressive to say the least and it was obvious as to why the redhead loved him so much.

"Are you alright Alec? You seem a little flushed." Edd asked when he caught the other's lingering eyes on him. Alec just clamped his mouth shut and averted his eyes with a nod.

Then Kevin spoke up from the floor. "Alright can I get some pity over here? There's an amputee trapped under crib on the floor and no one's offered to help me yet."

Edd and Christine let out a few giggles before walking over to help their loved one up off the floor.

...

Two more weeks passed in the blink of an eye and soon the nursery was completely finished. With Christine and Ramona's expert fashion sense and color coordination, the entire room resembled a pink tutu. The walls, the curtains, rugs, and even the little decorations were pink and honestly, it made Kevin's head hurt. But even he had to admit that it was extremely fitting for their little princess who was due home any day at that point.

"Are you excited to come home with your daddies?" Edd cooed as he held Ang in one of the rocking chairs in the NICU for what could've been the last time. All they were waiting on was an OK from Christine. "Oh, you have such beautiful eyes..."

"How come you never talk to me like that?" Kevin asked with a smirk as he leaned over the side of the chair to cast a glance at his future husband before looking down into his daughter's bright eyes that reflected his own.

Edd scoffed playfully but said nothing as he continued to twirl a strawberry blonde curl around his pointer finger. It was quiet for a little bit before Kevin decided to break the silence. "Who coulda guessed..." he mused. Edd hummed in acknowledgement and raised an eyebrow in question. "That we would end up here."

"Who could've guessed..." Edd mused with a small smile on his face. "If someone had told you when you were twelve that you'd be engaged to another man with a beautiful daughter, you would've laughed in their face, I'm sure."

Kevin rolled his eyes and placed a tender kiss on Edd's temple. "You're such a dork, I love it."

"And I love you."

"I love you too. And _you._ " the redhead said and rubbed a thumb over Ang's rosy cheek as she started to doze off.

And as the two new parents stood in the quiet room doting over the new love of their lives, life seemed absolutely perfect.

For now.


	68. The Wedding

"Oh my God! Edd! EDD! She's gonna do it!"

Edd rolled his eyes with a playful smirk on his face as he continued to wash the dishes. "You've been saying that for the past week and a half!"

Kevin sighed from his spot on the living room floor and lowered the small camcorder in his hands. "Just c'mere! I _swear_ she's gonna do it this time." he said and the raven just shook his head and grabbed a small towel to dry his hands with as he walked into the next room. His fiance was sitting on the floor against the couch taking a video of Ang as she lay on a blanket in front of him. "She's gonna roll over any minute now..." Kevin said with a huge smile on his face.

Edd smiled fondly at his little family and tossed the towel onto his shoulder as he made his way to sit next to Kevin on the floor. As soon as Ang spotted Edd she let out a squeal and propped herself onto her elbows.

It had been six months since the couple had brought The Princess home from the hospital and to say that they had melted into fatherhood would be a huge understatement. Kevin and Edd were the _elites_ of fatherhood. They never wavered or cracked under the fatigue of late night bottles or just those days where _nothing_ seemed to please the child. And when they realized that Ang was super colicky, it was Edd that saved the day. Some nights, when Ang wasn't having any of Kevin's shit, the raven would rock with her in the dim light of the pink nursery and sing quiet French lullabies as she calmed herself down. Even Kevin had made it a habit to sit outside The Princess's bedroom door just to listen to the comforting sounds of the creaking rocking chair, Ang's light snores, and the way Edd's voice sounded as he sung into her thick curls.

 _Complainte de la Butte_ was their favorite.

Kevin glanced up at his fiance who was now lying on his stomach in front of Ang. His eyes traced up his slender frame where the tattoos snaked up his body all the way onto the right side of his neck where an Irish rose lay proudly. His once short hair had grown out to his shoulders, or in other words, the perfect length for Ang to play with. Kevin smiled warmly at him and then raised the camcorder and pointed it directly at Edd.

"Lookit your Dad, isn't he pretty? _That hair though!_ "

Edd gave the camera his best look of disgust before bursting out into a fit of giggles. "I'm not pretty, Kevin!"

The camera zoomed in a little as the raven scooped up his daughter as he sat up and set her in his lap. "Oh, right. You're gorgeous! Like Andy Black's long lost twin. A work of art, he is."

Edd cocked an eyebrow. "Who's that? Is that your man crush?" he asked and the camera shook a little as Kevin laughed behind the scene.

"Nah, you're my only man crush." the redhead said and in that exact moment, Ang looked right into the camera with the most horrified look that any seven month old could muster. Edd just blushed.

...

Three months later, Edd was standing behind David as they looked at themselves in a full length mirror. Both men sported sleek black suits with silver vests underneath and lavender ties; the only difference between the two was that the raven lacked the jacket, leaving him in a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the vest.

Edd had left his legendary beanie at home for the day and much to Christine's insistence, he had his hair styled professionally to hide his scar. Parted to the left, his inky locks had been trimmed up into more of a shaggy style, but thanks to the dozens of hair products and a handful of stylists he could walk out in public without being gawked at.

"Are you ready for this?" Edd asked as he bushed some dirt off of David's shoulder. The older man swallowed a thick lump in his throat and nodded quickly.

"Yes. I've been waiting for this moment since the moment I met her. I'm ready." he said and the raven smiled warmly at his soon to be stepfather through the mirror and clapped him on the shoulder before turning away.

A few minutes later there was a knock on the door and a high pitched squeal; David turned and cocked an eyebrow at his stepson. Edd merely copied the other's expression and smoothed out the silver vest before standing up out of his chair. "That would be my escort." he said and walked to open the door.

On the other side was a tall, tan, and toned redhead with a spunky little caramel baby holding his hand and squealing happily at her glittery dress shoes. "Hey handsome. You ready?" Edd said as he stood up on his tiptoes to give Kevin a chaste kiss on the lips.

"As always. Right Ang?" the redhead asked, shaking her hand a little. Ang's head snapped up to look at her dad's and a look of devastation swept over her features.

 _"Nuuuuuuuu!"_

Putting the finishing touches on his tie, David walked over and knelt down before his granddaughter and grabbed both of her hands from Kevin. "If you don't walk down that isle, no one's gonna be able to see how perfect you are."

Ang just stuck out her bottom lip and leaned into David for a hug. "That's my girl," he chuckled, swooping her up and sauntering out into the main room of the venue to take his place for the big day. Kevin and Edd hung back for a few minutes as they looked out over the small crowd that was slowly beginning to take their seats.

"We're next, y'know?" Kevin said as he let his hand slide into Edd's.

"You think? I was just beginning to think that you gave me this ring just for show."

Kevin rolled his eyes and squeezed Edd's hand playfully. "No, but I mean, that's kind of the point. To show people that you're _mine._ "

The EMT cocked an eyebrow. "Yours?" he asked and the redhead turned back to the crowd where he could see Ang stealing some of the flowers and stuffing them down the front of her dress and a warm smile broke out over his face.

 _"Ours_." he said and proceeded to lead Edd into the next room over where their mother was ready to be walked down the isle by her two favorite boys.

As they entered the room, Edd let out a low whistle as he saw all the chaos in the room. Christine stood in the middle in front of a full length mirror on a pedestal with all five of her bridesmaids panicking around them. Edd recognized some of the women as doctors from the hospital.

"I can't believe you lost it, Davis!"

"I didn't loose it! And we're not at the hospital right now so you can call me by my first name."

The lavender haired woman paused momentarily as she was digging through the pile of purses in the far corner. "...Which is?"

The shorter woman screamed. "AMBER! My name is Amber, you twit!"

Edd's grip on Kevin's hand tightened as he watched the screaming women and the redhead leaned down to whisper in his ear. "Tread lightly, women are insane."

"Oh, Edd! Finally, a sane person in this room. " Christine sighed as she hopped off the pedestal and hurried over to her sons. "Where's Angie?"

"David kind of stole her for the moment. Anything we can help you with?" Kevin asked as he rolled up his sleeves.

"Arvilla lost the veil!"

"Shut it Davis!"

"MY NAME IS AMBER!"

Christine rolled her eyes at the bickering couple and gathered up two handfuls of her poofy dress. "The veil is missing in action, care to help me find it?"

"AHA!" Arvilla screamed as she held up a handful of fluffy white tissue. Amber just folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow.

"You do realize that you're holding a wad of used tissues, right?"

A look of realization dawned over the tall woman's face and she slowly dropped all the tissues to the ground. "I do now..."

"Here," Edd said as he got up from behind Christine and carefully tucked the clips of the veil into her inky curls. Arvilla nearly slapped the smug look right off of Amber's face. "It was caught up in all the other white floof of your dress." he said and quickly linked arms with his mother as he lead her to the door.

"Ready?" Kevin asked as he took to her other side and placed a peck on his adoptive mother's cheek.

"As I'll ever be. Let's do this."

...

The wedding was beautiful. The venue was flooded with thousands of orchids and Christine looked like an absolute angel in her princess style wedding dress; the proof was in the happy tears that Ang poked off David's smiling face at the altar.

Kevin and Edd led their mother down the isle and each placed a kiss on her cheek before handing her off to the man who cherished her a million times more than her last husband did.

True, their relationship had moved fast, but their love was _real_. David ever once got upset with her for missing a date or not coming home until the next morning because there had been an emergency at work. Instead, he brought the dinner or date to _her._ David always did his best to make everyday special for _her_ and in turn, he received full support from her two sons who were currently giving her away.

Kevin took Ang from David so that he could take his bride into his arms and have their happily ever after. He later had to wipe away Edd's happy tears as his mother became a wife again, realizing that she's finally got it right.

Later that night at the reception, the party was in full swing. Christine had danced with practically everyone and Edd was holding a snoozing and drooling Ang to his chest. Kevin sat beside the raven while he rubbed the sore muscles of his thigh; dancing was a bitch on his prosthetic. "Are you ready to go?" Edd asked as he adjusted the sleeping baby in his arms and the redhead nodded.

"Hell yeah, we need to get home so that you can give me a massage. I'm dyin' over here!" Kevin said as he leaned back in his chair and stretched. Edd just laughed and stood up to give his fiance a hand.

"We'll see about that." he said with a sly grin and the two walked hand in hand over to the newlyweds to bid them goodbye. But before they could leave, Eddy came running up to the the two men and put a hand on Edd's shoulder.

"Can I talk to you real quick?" the shortest of the Eds asked. "It's kind of important..."

Edd looked up at Kevin and the redhead shrugged. "Sure, we'll be out in the car." he said and placed a peck on the raven's cheek as he took Ang into his arms before walking out.

"What is it?" Edd asked with concern as he noticed that his close friend looked a little pale. "What's wrong, Eddy?"

 _"He's out."_ he said.

"Who?"

Eddy swallowed back a nervous lump in his throat. "Kevin's dad. He's out of prison."


	69. The News

_"Kevin's dad. He's out of prison."_

Marcus was out three years early and on parole for good behavior and just the thought of that man wandering the streets made Edd's stomach churn. Last time he was free to wander the streets, Kevin almost _died._ How could they let someone out who had mercilessly beaten their own child?! Edd was at a loss as to what to do. He _needed_ to tell Kevin because it was his father, but at the same time he wanted to keep his mouth shut for the sanctity of his small family. A pissed and scared Kevin wouldn't be good for Ang; she needed her father to be there for her.

"What're you gonna do?" Eddy ask as he watched his close friend pale a considerable amount. After a moment, Edd just shook his head.

"I...I don't know, but now I have to go home and figure this out. Call me if you hear anything else."

Eddy just nodded and rubbed his arms. "Alright, I will. Try to have a good night."

"Yeah, you too." Edd said quickly walked out of the building and out to his car where his fiance and daughter were waiting. He tried to shake off his frazzled nerves as he crossed the parking lot, but a horrible feeling of dread seemed to overtake him and as soon as he slid into the car, Kevin immediately knew that something was wrong.

"Hey, what's up?" the redhead asked as he put a hand on the other's thigh. Edd tried to steady his shaking hands on the steering wheel and offered the man a small, unconvincing smile. "You okay?"

Edd drummed his fingers on the wheel and sighed. "Yeah, I'm just really tired."

...

A few days passed and the sinking feeling of dread never left Edd. Everywhere he went, he felt like he was being watched. Part of him chalked it up to some form of paranoia while another part just _knew_ that something was about to happen. Marcus Barr didn't seem like the type of man to take a crowbar to the head and forget so easily.

Kevin could tell that his better half had been on edge by the way his smile never quite reached his eyes. So the redhead took it upon himself to try to cheer Edd up. One night after Ang had been put to bed, the had a makeshift movie date on their couch and while it did make the raven forget about his troubles, the feeling was quick to return as soon as the night was over. Another day he had brought Edd flowers at work much to the other nurses' delight. The sheer image of Kevin sauntering up in his uniform with a bouquet in hand made Edd unsteady on his own two feet.

After Ang was born, the two men realized that only living on Edd's salary wasn't going to give them what they wanted or needed in life. So about a month after The Princess came home, Kevin decided that it was time to look for a job and apply himself. He didn't really know what he _could_ do, but the urge to serve and protect still ran deep in his bones. So in late July of that year, Kevin started the process of becoming the newest member of the Peach City Police Department.

It wasn't so easy at first, the PCPD wouldn't let Kevin enroll in the training camp until he had a written letter from a doctor that said Kevin had recovered from his PTSD and that his leg was completely healed and ready for the harsh training. It took a little bit in the beginning for Kevin to manage his panic attacks whenever something would trigger him, but over time it became easier.

It wasn't very long before he was standing before his peers while having his badge placed on is chest. Edd and Christine were there with Ang along with David and a few members of the Thompson family. Edd had never been so proud in his entire life.

And now they were wrapped up in each other's arms in bed. Kevin was pinning Edd to the mattress and peppering little kisses onto the side of his face and neck. The raven was giggling hysterically as the kisses turned into nips and he was helpless to stop them as Kevin was holding his arms above his head. "K-Kevin, stop!" Edd laughed. "I can't breathe!"

"Nope. Not until you tell me what's been bothering you for the past week." the redhead said as he moved one hand down to tickle Edd's side. The raven squealed so loud that Kevin briefly wondered if he had woken up Ang. "So you gonna tell me or not?"

Edd panted heavily and sighed in relief when Kevin desisted his attack for the moment and sat back on his knees. "I-" he huffed. "I don't think that this is the right time."

Kevin's eyebrows furrowed and he crossed his arms against his chest. "You're not breaking up with me, are you?" he joked and Edd smiled.

"Never."

"Then what is it?"

The smile faded from Edd's face and he sucked on his bottom lip. "I told you that I don't think this is the right time..." he said and the worry lines on Kevin's face began to crease.

"Just tell me."

Edd sighed and sat up from underneath Kevin and grabbed his hands. "Um..."

.

.

.

 _"He WHAT?!"_

Edd flinched under Kevin's booming voice and put a hand on his chest, thanking whatever god was up there that Ang hadn't woken up.

"When did this happen?!" Kevin asked as he got off the bed and started to pace around. Edd gulped back a lump in his throat as he watched his fiance slowly start to lose his shit.

"Eddy told me at the reception..." he said and Kevin had to stop in his spot and look at him with wide, unforgiving eyes. "I'm sorry, I-"

Kevin threw his hands up in the air. "You've known for _that long_ and you didn't tell me?! What's wrong with you?! That man almost killed me and you didn't think to give me a little heads up about him wandering the streets?"

Edd flinched again and tried to clam the man down. "I'm sorry! I was trying to think of a way to tell you without you freaking out! And I know that he almost killed you because _I was there._ I know what he did to you and I've been tearing myself apart trying to figure out how to handle this!"

The redhead took a step forward with his hands in fists and Edd took a weary step back. "He's _my_ father, not yours! I'll deal with it and I'll shove his ass back in jail no matter what it takes! You got that?" he said as he jabbed a finger in the other's face.

Tears threatened to spill down Edd's face and he held his hands up in front of him. "Kevin, I was just thinking of Ang..."

Kevin snorted as he reached past Edd to snatch his badge off of the nightstand. "So you're sick way of caring is blissful ignorance? That's pretty fucking sad."

"W-where're you going?" Edd asked as the first of the tears started to spill down his face. Kevin walked around the room and grabbed his uniform and duty belt from the closet before walking out the door. "Kevin?!" Edd called as he ran out of the room after him.

"Back to work. Don't wait up." Kevin said and almost instantly he was gone. The door slammed behind him so loudly that the pictures on the wall shook and the crying of a baby echoed around the house. Edd let out a little sob and ran a hand through his hair before going to settle Ang down. He knew that Kevin wasn't actually mad at _him_ per se, but just the entire situation in general and that reminder made the tears lessen a little.

After Edd had gotten Ang to settle down, he pulled out his cellphone and quickly brought up his mother's number. _"Hello?"_

"Mother, it's me. Do you think that you could take Angela for the night? Kevin and I have some...talking to do."

There was a giggle on the other side of the phone. _"Oh, talking? Is that what kids are calling it these days? All you have to do is ask, Dear."_

Edd sighed. "N-no, we actually have to talk. I finally told him about Marcus and he stormed out on me."

 _"Oh! Well then I'll be over there soon, okay? Just make sure she's all packed up for a night on the town, okay? I love you, Edd. Everything's gonna be fine."_

The call quickly ended after that and Edd kept himself busy with packing up a diaper bag for Ang. When Christine finally showed up, he placed a kiss on both of the girl's cheeks and thanked his mother profusely.

Later that night, Edd sat himself upon the couch with his legs crossed as he chewed nervously on his thumbnail. It was way past midnight at that point and he was beginning to wonder if Kevin was ever going to come home. He had tried calling the redhead at least ten times after he left but never received an answer. Now he was left alone with the TV, his thoughts, and whatever he had left of his chewed up nails.

A few minutes passed before Edd practically jumped out of his skin when he heard a knock on the front door. He briefly thought that it was Kevin knocking on the door, but then he remembered that he had taken the car. Weren't the house keys on his key ring? What if he got drunk somehow and lost them? Edd jogged over to the door and practically ripped it open at the thought of his inebriated fiance wandering around by himself in the dead of night.

Edd froze with his hand on the door and all the warmth seemed to drain from his body.

Marcus Barr stood on the other side of the door slapping a crowbar playfully in his hands. A twisted, sadistic smile crawled over his face. "Hello, Eddward."


	70. The End of All Things

Author's Note: It seems as if my story is coming to a close after all these months...

* * *

Kevin squeezed the bridge of his nose as he sat at his desk and tried to come up with some sort of information on his estranged father. But alas, three hours later and all he had was the fact that he had gotten out of prison on good behavior about two weeks ago. Other than that, there was nothing on him. Kevin's phone buzzed again from his pocket and he groaned in frustration.

Edd had been calling and texting him almost nonstop since he walked out hours ago but he still had yet to see any of the messages. All Kevin wanted to do was just to focus on his father at that point.

"You alright there, Darling?"

Kevin glanced up from the monitor of his computer to see another one of the officers from his precinct standing directly in front of him. "Hey Mickey. It's uh...it's been a rough day." he sighed and leaned back in his chair to stretch his back out.

"I'll say. You're here at three in the morning instead of that hottie back home. What a shame..." Mickey sighed dramatically as he leaned against the desk. Kevin rolled his eyes and pulled out the phone from his back pocket and set it on the desk with a _snap._

"He's been trying to get a hold of me for a while now. I wonder what he could _possibly_ have to say to me now." Kevin said with a certain amount of snark that even Mickey raised an eyebrow at him, and Mickey was the _queen_ of sass. Before the older man could ask what had happened, the redhead shot him a look to say 'it's personal, so drop it.'

Kevin unlocked the phone with a lazy finger and started to scroll through his notifications. He had nine missed calls, five texts, and one voicemail. All of them were from Edd.

 **From Edd:** I'm so sorry, Kev. Call me back soon.

 **From Edd:** When are you coming home?

 **From Edd:** ARE you coming home?

Kevin chewed on his lip a little as he picked up the phone from the desk and continued to read.

 **From Edd:** Mother took Angela for the night so that we could *talk* in peace whenever you decide to come home.

 **From Edd:** COME HOME

Kevin's eyebrows furrowed at the last few texts before listening to the voicemail, but it wasn't anything like he was expecting. It sounded really muffled and the line kept popping like Edd couldn't hold the phone to save his life. Loud noises filled the background as his breathless fiance's recorded voice filtered through.

 _"Kevin please come home, I- AH!"_

The redhead flinched against the phone as a loud crash made Edd scream and his stomach dropped and when he heard Edd start to sob, he covered his mouth with his hand.

 _"Please please please..."_ he chanted and there was another large booming noise. _"Kevin he's gonna kill me! Answer your fucking-"_

Tears were already streaming down Kevin's face when the voicemail abruptly ended. Mickey, having heard bits and pieces of the short message, was already talking into his radio as he threw Kevin his jacket.

"Let's go."

...

 _"Hello, Eddward."_

Edd put his hands up in air as Marcus continued to slap the crowbar in his hands menacingly and took a slow step back. His mouth was held agape as if he wanted to say something, all he could think of to say was nothing.

"It's nice to see you again after all this time." Marcus said with a sickly sweet smile that made Edd's stomach do summersaults as he continued to back away slowly, but with each step he took, Marcus was able to fully step into the house and calmly close the door behind him. "Y'know, this is a really nice place you got here, but I'm sure that my son lives with you too, doesn't he?"

"M-Marcus..."

The older redhead let the heavy metal piece hang loosely at his side as he continued to stalk closer to Edd. "Tell me, do the two of you share a room?" he asked and before Edd could even muster up any answer at all, Marcus had smashed some of the pictures that hung on the wall so fast that he didn't even see the man's arm move. Wasn't he slower last time? Yes, because he was drunk.

Now he's sober and _pissed._

A picture of Kevin and himself holding each other at Christine's wedding fell to the floor and on a whim, he _ran._

"GET BACK HERE!" Marcus roared as he charged after him. Edd frantically dug through his jeans for his cellphone and somehow, and he wasn't exactly sure how he did it, Edd made it into the bathroom and locked the door behind him. His chest was heaving as fear pulsed through his veins. _This man was going to kill him._

The bathroom door bowed inwards as Marcus slammed his weight into it and Edd finally got it together long enough to make a call.

 _"Hi, this is Kevin Barr. I'm not-"_

Edd screamed in frustration as he was once again met with Kevin's voicemail for the ninth time that night. Marcus slammed himself into the door again and Edd swore that he heard the wood start to splinter. He held the phone to his face with a shaking hand as he simply stared at the cracking bathroom door and his certain, sober death that stood behind it. "Kevin," he said once the line had started recording. " _Please_ come home. I-"

Edd's message was interrupted as the rusted end of a crowbar busted through the door and he _screamed_ for. His. Life. "Please please please..." he sobbed and slid down onto the cold tile floor. Marcus continued to slowly destroy the only thing that separated him from the little faggot that stole his son from him. "Kevin he's gonna kill me! Answer your fucking-"

The phone dropped to the ground as the door finally gave way and cracked the wall behind it from the force. Marcus panted a little from breaking his way into the room, but that sick smile never once left his face. He stalked up the small raven and as he popped a few kinks out of his neck, Marcus took a moment to simply _observe_ the teen that put him in jail in the first place. Edd was curled up on the floor, his small frame visibly shaking as the older man raised the crowbar above his head over so slowly.

Tears spilled from wide cerulean eyes as the metal bar came crashing down.

Marcus grunted in frustration and gritted his teeth as the crowbar smashed into the clean white tile on the wall. Edd had scrambled to the side last minute and just _barely_ missed the unforgiving force of Marcus's attack. "You bitch!" the older redhead yelled as Edd grabbed one of the jagged tile pieces and swiped him across the arm with it, hoping to buy himself enough time to escape. But alas, fate had other plans.

Edd slipped on the polished tiles as he ran towards the door and Marcus took that chance to let Edd catch the hooked end of the tool with his back. The raven hit the ground like a ton of bricks and tried not to _die_ right there.

His back arched up off the floor as Marcus put a foot on his ass and pulled the prybar out of Edd. Blood was quick to pool around his writhing body and Marcus _chuckled_ as he flipped the raven onto his injured back and proceeded to drag him down the hall into the main bedroom. Edd's held felt too light as he was dropped in the corner of the room next to one of the dressers and was promptly hit over the head with the crowbar. Twice.

Marcus only stopped when he heard sirens in the distance.

...

Kevin was still trying to dry the last of his tears as all the officers pulled up to his house. Mickey was sitting next to him and offered a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Get yourself together, Dear. We've gotta go save your man." he said and the redheaded officer nodded a little as he sniffled.

"Right, let's go." Kevin said and climbed out of the car with his gun poised in his hands. The cool wind made him shiver a little, but he had a feeling it was the fear that was wracking his body.

One of the other officers creeped up to the front door and tried the handle; dread filled Kevin to the brim when it was found to be unlocked. Edd _never_ left the doors unlocked. Ever. The door was pushed all the way open and when they all peered inside, it seemed like everything was normal. But then the redhead noticed the shattered glass on the floor along with a few pictures of him and Edd.

Mickey signaled for two of the officers to stay in the kitchen and living room just in case the intruder decided to make a break for it. The rest of the group moved stealthily through the dark hallway, but stopped when their shoes started to make light slapping sounds against the floor instead of the usual silence. Kevin flicked on the light to the hallway and had to cover up his mouth to muffle his retch.

A thick trail of blood led all the way from the bathroom to his and Edd's bedroom. It was painfully obvious that someone had dragged a body through there and Kevin had a sinking feeling as to who it was. A sob threatened to rip through his cracking strong front and his grip on his gun tightened as he was forced to walk through what could potentially be his fiance's blood.

Mickey and another officer stood on either side of the door for a moment before barging in. "Freeze!" they yelled. Standing in the middle of the room was a weathered, tall, and bulky redheaded man that looked eerily similar to Kevin. Marcus slowly turned to face the police officers with a smug smile on his face and his _bloody_ hands up in the air.

Kevin's eyes went from his father's red stained hands to the small figure that was crumpled up on the floor behind him. _Edd._

Another officer was quick to throw a taze at him and the man went down like a bag of bricks. Kevin bypassed the man that he used to call his father as Mickey read him his rights and fell to his knees in front of Edd. With shaking hands, Kevin brushed a lock of sticky hair out of the other's face and he finally broke down into horrible sobs. The whole left side of Edd's face was severely bruised; the eye was swelled shut and Kevin just knew that there was more bruising on his head, however the rest of it was covered by bloodied mats of black hair.

A dark chuckle filled the room and everyone's heads whipped towards Marcus as handcuffs were just being finished slapped onto his wrists. "Go ahead, take me back to jail, do whatever you want. I'm perfectly fine now that this little faggot's dead."

Kevin let out a scream of anguish before promptly pistol whipping the man and stuffing the gun back into its holster. Marcus collapsed onto the ground with a _thud_ and Kevin immediately called for ambulances on his personal radio before scooping Edd up into his arms like a child. He could feel the warm sensation of blood pour itself onto his work pants but he didn't care. Sobs wracked his body as he ever so gently started to rock his beloved fiance in his arms. "I love you, I love you, I love you..." he said in broken whispers.

Ambulances were quick to be heard in the distance after a moment and the other officers practically had to drag Marcus's huge frame out of the house. Kevin had grabbed some of his clothes from the dresser behind him and pressed them to Edd's back to try and stop the bleeding, but within minutes the pile of fabric was already soaked.

"Kevin..."

The redhead's quiet sobs suddenly increased tenfold when Edd's broken voice hit his ears and when he looked down, he found a pair of hooded blue eyes looking up at him. "Oh my God, Edd I'm so sorry!" Kevin wailed against the other's forehead. Edd placed a shaking hand on Kevin's shoulder and closed his eyes again, relishing in the feeling of warmth. He felt _so_ cold.

Paramedics then ran into the room and immediately rushed over to the two men that were sitting on the floor. Reluctantly, Kevin let go of Edd as he was placed on a gurney. There was nothing else that he could've done to help at that point. "I love you." he sobbed as they took the raven away and Mickey came over to pull the shaking officer into a tight hug.

"It'll be alright, Kev. If anything that I've heard about you two is true, he'll make it out just fine." he said and Kevin just nodded into the older man's shoulder. Mickey was right, he just _had_ to be. They would make it through this, they always did.

...

Four days later, Kevin was standing in the hallway outside of Edd's hospital room with a colicky Ang on his hip. Ever since he had gotten her back from Christine, she had never ceased to stop crying. Usually it was Edd to calm her wailing, but because of all the surgeries and cancer that had ravaged his brain, the man was put into a medicine induced coma to give him time to heal.

The vicious attacks from Marcus had left Edd with a severe concussion and a gaping hole in his back. So even when he did wake up, he wouldn't be able to hold Ang on his own.

 _"Daddy! Daddy!"_ she cried, her breaths labored from breathing so hard and Kevin's heart broke. She was crying for _Edd_ , not her Papa Kevin. Christine mad her way up the hall with a thick file in one hand and a cupholder with two steaming coffees in the other.

"Here," she said as she held the holder out to him and Kevin took one of the coffees gratefully. "I figured you could use a pick-me-up."

"Thanks," Kevin said as he took a quick sip and set it on the cart right by the door to Edd's room. The two stood there in silence (save for Ang's ever present cries) and tried to think of what to do or say.

Marcus had immediately been sentenced to life in prison for attempted murder and breaking his probation after the disaster a few days ago. Kevin had never been so relieved when the judge announced that there was no possibility for parole. Now, just maybe, he and Edd could live in peace for once.

"Have you tried taking Angie in there with Edd?" Christine asked as she took a drink of her coffee.

Kevin nodded. "Yeah, but all she wants to do is get up on the bed with him. I don't want her to accidentally pull out any important wires..."

Christine offered her son a small smile and waved him after her as she walked into the room. "Come on." she said. Any let out a little gasp and almost immediately stopped crying when she saw her daddy lying on the bed with a badly bruised face.

"Daddy!" she yelled as she reached out to him desperately. Kevin shot a look at his mother and she gave him a confident nod. The redhead gently set their daughter on top of Edd's chest and she immediately snugged into his neck. Christine cam over and put an arm around Kevin's back and gave a little squeeze as he put his face in his hands and sighed.

"You can climb in there too. I know you will now that Angie has." she said and Kevin chuckled a little bit despite the stress of it all. Moving Ang over a tad (much to her annoyance), Kevin climbed in the bed and put his arms around the two most important people in his entire world.

"I'm so sorry..." he said as he noticed how Ang's eyes had fluttered shut as she laid against Edd's slow rising chest. It wasn't one of her French lullabies, but it did just fine in getting her to sleep soundly for the first time in days. "I love you, I love you..." Kevin whispered as he tried to fight the onslaught of fresh tears that burned underneath his eyelids. Small sobs soon shook through his body as he laid there and listened to the steady heart monitor.

"Shh."

Kevin's head snapped up at the sound and he stared down at the raven with wide, teary eyes. Edd's eyes were still closed, but now there was the slightest hint of a smirk on his face. "You'll wake the baby."

And Kevin _cried._


	71. Epilogue

_Automatic._

Something that's done or occurs spontaneously, without conscious thought or intention.

A word that could describe Edd's entire world.

As he child, he prided himself on planning out his every move. Math test on Tuesday. Tutoring sessions after school, three o'clock sharp. Pills every morning, doctor appointments biannually, brush his teeth every night, be in bed by nine. Edd's life was on point; everything was _perfect._ But then somewhere during his high school career, something changed.

And thy name was Kevin Alexander Barr.

His smile was brighter than the sun and hair redder than the blush that always managed to dust over Edd's cheeks whenever they embraced. Kevin was tall and strong, but he was also _imperfect._ A father that had left a scar hidden in his hairline, a mother that had left a hole in his heart, and a war that had left a prosthetic in place of his leg. A childhood of hardship and heartbreak that was finally being made up for with endless amounts of love by none other than Eddward Marion Vincent. The man that had also faced hardships and heartbreak in his past had put the past to rest so that he could focus on his _future._

And his future was now. Edd stood in front of a full length mirror and stared at himself in the reflection of the glass. David stood back behind him a little and absently dusted the straightened out his tux much like Edd had done for him some years ago. "Are you ready?"

Edd glanced at his stepfather through the mirror and gave one of his famous gap toothed smiles. "Of course. I've been waiting for this since I was seventeen." he said and David grabbed his shoulders to gently turn him around.

"No, I mean, are you _ready?_ " the older man asked and Edd blinked a few times as he gathered the weight of David's words. _Was he ready?_

When Marcus had attacked him with the crowbar, it had damaged a part of his spine. Edd spent _forever_ in physical therapy trying to get himself steady on his feet, but the process was three years in the making now and he still needed a cane to help him walk most days.

But today wasn't going to be one of those days and Edd was going to make damn sure of it.

David stared his son down for a moment longer before the raven nodded. "I am. Now let's go, I want to get married already." he said and his father chuckled. The two walked slowly out to the venue and Edd took a deep breath. He could do this. If he was strong enough to escape certain death from the hands of Marcus Barr twice _and_ brain cancer, he could walk down that damn isle.

"Are we good to go? It's almost time..."

Edd turned to face his mother as she walked over to him and smiled. "Let's do this." he said as he linked his arm with hers and reluctantly, set his cane up against the wall beside the door. David bid the two good luck as he went to take his place beside Kevin at the altar and Edd was left alone with Christine for the first time that day. "I can't believe it's actually happening." he sighed as he looked over at his mother.

"I know, you two have _only_ been engaged for three years. I married David after a year of dating, get on my level Eddward!" the woman laughed and Edd rolled his eyes playfully. Of course his mother would try to loosen him up in one of the most embarrassing ways possible. _Young person lingo._

"I'm trying over here, I swear." he chuckled, but stiffened up a bit when he heard the music start to play. Christine rubbed his arm comfortingly and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.

"You'll be okay, Dear. Just think of your husband that's waiting for you on the other side of this door and how he's absolutely going to _bawl_ when he finally sees you."

 _Can't_ _Help Falling in Love_ by Haley Reinhart started to flow through the walls from outside and the mother-son duo counted to three before the door was opened.

The venue was absolutely filled to the brim with friends and family of all kinds. Doctors and nurses from the hospital from all his surgeries were there to support him on his biggest day and Edd just wanted to cry from all the love he felt from them. The Thompson clan was also in attendance too, as well as every single one of their friends and their friends' parents, along with every police officer, paramedic, and EMT in the entire area.

Flowers graced every possible inch of the area. They were along the rows of white chairs, the altar itself, and in the hair of all the women in the form of crowns. Even Ang had allowed someone to touch her hair that day for the sake of matching her Aunt Marie. Edd sent a quick glance to all the wedding party with a nervous smile and Eddy, who was standing right behind where Edd would be, shot him a subtle thumbs up.

And then he looked at _him._

Kevin looked like he had just seen the most beautiful thing in the world; he was chewing on his bottom lip a little with actual tears in his eyes. Edd let a small smile grace his features as he took in the sight of his happily ever after.

When they finally made it up to the altar, Kevin stepped forward to take Edd's hand and flicked away a stray tear that had managed to roll down his face. Christine placed a loving kiss on each of their cheeks before she let go of them and headed back to her seat in the front row.

"Hey," Kevin said with a teary smile on his face as he gripped Edd's hand tightly.

"Hey you." Edd said in a soft voice.

"Where's your pimp cane?"

Edd laughed quietly and put his free hand over his mouth before answering. "I don't need it when I'm with you." he said and Kevin simply looked at him in sheer awe before the preacher began to speak. The ceremony was long to say the least, especially for a three year old like Angela. In the middle of it all, the toddler grew anxious and ran up to her dads and stood right in between them with such a serious expression that elicited a few chuckles from the guests.

Ang tugged on Edd's sleeve and stood on her tiptoes when there was a pause from the preacher. " _Psst._ Daddy, c'mere."

"What is it?" Edd whispered as he bent down a little to look into the little flower girl's eyes. She grabbed onto his tie and pulled him down for a delicate kiss on the nose before roughly pulling off her flower crown and haphazardly throwing it on Edd's head.

"Goo' luck!" she said even Ramona could be heard laughing and clapping excitedly over her granddaughter from the audience. Edd smiled at his baby girl before turning back to the awaiting preacher and a proud looking Kevin.

"Do we have our vows?" the aging man asked and Kevin turned to Edd with a kind smile on his handsome face.

"I'll go first." he said and took a deep breath as he held his soon-to-be husband's hands in front of him and Ang glomped onto his good leg.

"I promise to leave my apple cores and dirty butter knives on the kitchen counter, I promise to overdraft the checking account, I promise to complain about my prosthetic...but I vow to encourage us to try new things. I vow to fill your 'I love you' bank everyday. I vow to never use a recipe when fixing dinner and I vow to be the best parts of me that fit perfectly with the best parts of you. Although I may be imperfect, I pledge to be sensitive and respectful of your unique talents, abilities, and quirks. I pledge to lend you the strength for all of your dreams. Through our union we can accomplish more than I ever could alone. I believe in you."

By the end of Kevin's vows, Edd was a sobbing mess with a lopsided flower crown on his head. Kevin put a hand on the side of his face and wiped away the tears with the pad of his thumb. "Your turn." he whispered and in the background, Edd could hear his mother crying happily. The raven took a moment to calm himself down before looking into those green eyes that he loved so much these days.

"I promise...to always leave the lights on in the bathroom at night. I promise to mysteriously take three hours to make a simple omelet and I promise to create a life for us full of unexpected and strange adventures. I promise that I will love you.

I pledge to listen to your advice and occasionally take it. I pledge to never take score, even if I'm totally winning. I pledge to admire your huge, strong, kind, and determined heart. I pledge that I will love you.

I vow to listen, for as long as it takes for you to feel heard. I vow to watch in awe as you kick ass and take names. I vow to be your unrelenting cheer squad on the days that it feels like too much. I vow that I will love you." Edd said with a shaky breath and just like Kevin did to him moments ago, he placed a hand on the side of Kevin's face and wiped away the steady stream of tears before he finished.

"I believe that 'me time' is an actual concept, that can be proven by science. I believe that carefully folded socks can make you happy. I believe that there is no time or place I'm more content then when you're close. Because of this and so, so much more...I believe that I will _always_ love you."

The priest smiled and held his hands together as he looked between the couple. "Do you, Kevin Alexander Barr, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Kevin looked at Edd with tears still trying to dry on his face and smiled. "I do."

"And do you, Eddward Marion Vincent, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do."

And in front of all their friends, Edd and Kevin sealed their vows with a kiss. The guests clapped, cheered, and some even whistled as the two married men clasped hands and faced them with huge smiles on their faces. Kevin snatched Ang off of his leg and set her on his strong shoulder as they walked back up the isle and into their happily ever after.

Crystal clear blue met forest green and they just smiled because they _knew_ that they would be okay as long as they had each other. Because no matter what happened, they would always find their way back to each other...

 _...Automatically._

 ** _The End_**

* * *

Author's Note: Well, after seven months and seventy one chapters later, we've reached the end of this story and let me tell you, I'm crying. I've met _so_ many new friends thanks to this and I'm so utterly grateful for all of you. Thank you for allowing me to take you on this journey with me, it's been one hell of a ride.

A special thank you to my friend, my wife, and my biggest supporter **dshell99**. I probably would never have finished this without you. A thank you to all my silent readers, to my vocal ones, to the fans that have found and followed me on other forms of social media. I love each and everyone of you.

 _Sybrann_


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